Tina Anderson was only 15-years-old when she was forcedto stand in front of her entire church to confess her ‘sin’ – that she hadbecome pregnant.

What she was not allowed to tell the congregation wasthat the pregnancy was allegedly the result of being raped by a church deacon, who wassat in the church.

She claimed the pastor of her New Hampshire church told hershe was lucky not to have been born during Old Testament times when she wouldhave been stoned to death.

Birth: Tina Anderson said she was sent thousands of miles from her home to give birth to her baby girl who she gave up for adoption

Miss Anderson said she was terrified when she was forced toconfess to the church after telling her pastor about the rape.

‘I was completely in shock, but too scared to go and tell anyonebecause I thought I would get blamed for what happened,’ she told 20/20. ‘I truly believed that it was my fault.'

The first assault allegedly happened during a drivinglesson, aged 14, when she says the church elder, Ernest Willis, pulled her into the backof the car and raped her.

She said the second assault occurred when the man, whowas twice her age, turned up at her home.

‘He locked the door behindhim and pushed me over to the couch. I had a dress on and he pulled it off. Ipushed my hands against his shoulders and said 'No,' but he didn't stop,’ she said.

Assaulted: Tina Anderson claims the first assault happened during a driving lesson, aged 14, when church elder Ernest Willis allegedly raped her in his car

Miss Anderson told 20/20 that when she discovered that shewas pregnant, she confided in Willis who offered to pay for an abortion.

When she rejected his offer, she said: ‘He asked me if Iwanted him to punch me in the stomach as hard as he could to try to cause amiscarriage. I told him, “No, leave me alone”.’

Pleaded guilty: Ernest Willis admitted today he raped and impregnated his children's babysitter in 1997

Her mother went to the pastor of the IndependentFundamental Baptist Church (IFB).

Miss Anderson was told to confess in front of the church and sent thousands of miles away toColorado to live with another IFB family.

In March 1998, she gave birth to a baby girl. Adoption recordsshow that her alleged rapist admitted he was the father.

After keeping her secret for 13 years, Miss Anderson, whonow has three more children and lives with her husband in Arizona, wascontacted by police in February 2010 and agreed to press charges.

Ernest Willis is awaiting trial, charged with two countsof rape.

Chuck Phelps, who was pastor of the church at the time,said Ms Anderson voluntarily stood in front of the church.

Mr Phelps, now a pastor at another IFB church, said thatthere was no church cover-up and that he had immediately reported theaccusations to authorities within hours of learning about the accusations.

He said: ‘The police never contacted me further about thereports or about the welfare or whereabouts of Tina Dooley Anderson.’

The 20/20 report also reported the story of RachelGriffith, another IFB church member, who claims she was abused from the age offive.

She told ABC News that she was sexually abused by bothher adopted father, who was an IFB deacon and Sunday school teacher, and achurch pastor.

She told the programme that after her father abused herthat ‘He’d pray and say forgive us for this sin.’