YNOT – A man who broke into an Ames, Iowa, church may have been seeking comfort, but not from the Lord. Police say Charles E. Bentley spent the night in the basement of the First Christian Church viewing pornographic DVDs.
The church is across the street from the police station.
Employees of the Ames Community Preschool, which operates in the church, noticed items missing from the building's upper floors when they arrived for work at 7 a.m. March 8. They alerted police when they heard noises coming from the basement.
Police arrested Bentley, 55, as he was removing from the premises a garbage can filled with food, electronic equipment, clothes and kitchen utensils, all reportedly belonging to the church.
Likely not belonging to the church was the collection of X-rated movies officers found on Bentley at the time of his arrest, Ames Police Department Comdr. Mike Brennan said.
“He kind of made himself at home,” Brennan told The [Ames] Tribune.
Bentley was booked into the Story County Jail under $10,000 bond.
Sue Denim is a freelance journalist specializing in sexuality and the adult entertainment industry.
