Fairfield police arrest pastor for alleged child molestation

Author: Glen Faison

Date Published: 06/29/2012

Publication: Daily Republic (Fairfield-Suisun CA)

The Rev. Robert Ruark, of St. Timothy Orthodox Church in Fairfield, holds a Russian Orthodox bell in this June 2011 file photo after it was discovered that three of the church's bells were stolen. (Mike Greener/Daily Republic file 2011)

FAIRFIELD — A member of the local clergy was arrested late Thursday for allegedly molesting teenage boys and girls as far back as 18 years ago.

Robert Ruark, 65, of Suisun City, is suspected of committing lewd acts on at least five children as young as 13, according to a Fairfield Police Department press release early Friday. They are all now adults between the ages of 20 and 24.

Ruark is a pastor at St. Timothy Orthodox Church, located at 4593 Central Way in Fairfield. He is also known as Father Silas.

The case began when clergy in the diocese represented by St. Timothy contacted Fairfield police Thursday about possible incidents of child molestation, according to police. The diocese provided names of potential victims that were thought to have been molested by Ruark, incidents dating back to 1994. The diocese asked police to investigate their suspicions.

Detectives interviewed suspected victims and witnesses throughout the day and into the night and found five people who said they were molested by Ruark, according to police. Many of the alleged molestations occurred at the church and when the teens were left alone with Ruark, according to police.

Ruark allegedly photographed some of the teens while they were nude, police report.

Representatives with the District Attorney’s Office worked alongside Fairfield police detectives during the investigation.

Ruark was arrested without incident at around 9:45 p.m. at his home on the 1400 block of Spence Court, and his home was searched. He was interviewed by detectives and later booked into the county jail on suspicion of multiple offenses related to the alleged child molestations. The day’s booking log on the Solano County Sheriff’s Office website did not include booking information on Ruark prior to 11:33 p.m., the last booking on the most recent report.

The Diocese of Los Angeles and the West of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America has pledged to cooperate with the investigation, police report.

Potential victims and those with information about possible victims are asked to call Fairfield police detectives at 428-7600 or the 24-hour tip line at 428-7345.

Reach Glen Faison at 427-6925 or gfaison@dailyrepublic.net. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GlenFaison.

This version corrects Ruark’s secondary name to “Father Silas” and notes that the alleged victims are both male and female.