ORLANDO, Fla. _ A judge has set bail at $700,000 for Rev. Bryan Fulwider, the former Winter Park minister and radio show host accused of repeatedly raping a teenage girl.
Fulwider, 59, was arrested last week and was being held without bail at the Orange County Jail prior to the judge's ruling. He had not yet been released as of about 4 p.m., an online jail log showed.
In her order, Circuit Judge Elaine A. Barbour wrote that the evidence against Fulwider _ chiefly, a recorded phone call with his accuser in which police said he admitted to having had a sexual relationship with her which, if exposed, would make him appear to be "a predator" _ established that "the presumption (of guilt) is great."
Barbour wrote that she also had "concerns with the integrity of the judicial process vis a vis the possibility of manipulation of or contact by the Defendant to the victim or victim's family."
As a condition for his bond, Barbour ordered Fulwider to have no contact with the victim or her family "or to enlist the aid of third parties to do so." Fulwider is also prohibited from posting anything online concerning the victim "or matters designed to get word to or convey messages to the alleged victim."
"The Defendant will not come within 500 feet of the victim's home, the victim's family's home, the victim's place of employment or where the victim attends church," the judge wrote.
She also barred Fulwider from having unsupervised contact with children _ his accuser, now an adult, said she was 14 when he began abusing her, and just 13 when he began grooming her _ and he cannot possess any pornography or visit any porn websites. He's also barred from having guns.
In a statement, Fulwider's attorney, Jacob V. Stuart Jr., said he and his client "did not anticipate a bond of this amount."
"Reverend Fulwider will be relying upon his family and friends to help support him in the bond process, much like in the process of working towards rebuilding his life and reputation," Stuart wrote in an email to the Orlando Sentinel. "I want to remind your readers and the community, Reverend Fulwider is innocent until proven guilty _ and being held in jail as an innocent man with a $700,000.00 bond."
Fulwider was initially arrested by Winter Park police on 30 counts of sexual battery on a minor by a person in custodial authority. However, the judge's bond ruling said prosecutors had formally filed 16 counts of sexual activity with a child and one count each of lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd exhibition via a computer, solicitation of a minor via computer and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
He still faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted, the judge wrote.
Fulwider served 13 years as the 17th senior minister of the First Congregational Church of Winter Park, from 1999 to 2012. He is alleged to have met the girl through the church and abused her on its property.
Prior to his arrest, Fulwider was known as one of the "Three Wise Guys," along with Imam Muhammad Musri and Rabbi Steven Engel, who co-hosted "Friends Talking Faith," broadcast weekly local station WMFE. The show, which was recorded at WMFE's studios but produced independently, went on indefinite hiatus after his arrest, its producer and the radio station said.
Along with his co-hosts, Fulwider was a finalist for the Orlando Sentinel's 2018 Central Floridian of the Year award. He has also written guest columns for the newspaper.
