A Spartanburg County minister has been charged with four counts of sexually assaulting a minor.

Wednesday, Spartanburg County sheriff's deputies arrested and charged Phillip Jerard Buckson, 32, of 545 Clairidge Drive, Boiling Springs.

According to an incident report, a 15-year-old girl told investigators Buckson began sexually assaulting her in October 2015 at his previous home in Cherokee County. She was 13 years old at the time.

The girl told investigators he subsequently assaulted her multiple times in locations throughout Spartanburg County.

Buckson is the pastor at Cleveland Chapel Baptist Church in the Whitney area.

He is a former Spartanburg Methodist and Gaffney basketball star.

In an April 2010 article in the Herald-Journal, Buckson talked about his decision to give up his fledgling basketball career for the ministry.

“I asked God to show me that this was what he wanted me to do, and he began to open all kinds of doors. I honestly believe God has called on me to reach out to people,” he said at the time.

Investigators with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received two cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Jan. 30, Lt. Kevin Bobo said in an email. Those tips helped local investigators identify and locate the victim, who then gave a detailed statement, Bobo stated.

Buckson was arrested Wednesday at his church.

The Sheriff's Office is continuing its investigation and will work with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office on any offenses that may have occurred in their jurisdiction, Bobo stated.

Buckson has preached in various parts of South Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee, according to the church's website.