Woman says her father, a minister in North Carolina, sexually abused her from age 12 to 18

A 19-year-old woman is bravely stepping forward to share her harrowing experience of being sexually abused by her father, a evangelist preacher in North Carolina, after coming out in April 2023 to file charges against him for his crimes.

The man in question, Mario Kent Moody of Williamston, is facing charges including crimes against nature and indecent liberties with a child. According to court documents obtained by The North Carolina Beat, the offenses began when the girl was just 12 years old and continued until she turned 18.

One of the listed dates of offense is January 1, 2015, and Mario was arrested on June 27, 2023.

Mario Moody daughter speak out against him

Areyelle Moody, the courageous young woman, told The North Carolina Beat that her father, Mario, molested her while her mother, who held two jobs as a teacher and prison worker would be at work. She revealed that her father used and twisted scriptures to justify his despicable actions.

“I had to watch him get in the pulpit and watch him preach, knowing the type of person he was and what he was doing to me,” Areyelle Moody said.

As a child, Areyelle expressed that she struggled with suicidal thoughts due to the harmful actions of her father. Whenever she considered speaking out about her father’s behavior, he would “rebuke” her and suggest she was dealing with demons to discredit her concerns.

It wasn’t until recently that Areyelle’s mother learned about the abuse, as Areyelle had kept it hidden for so long.

Keep it in the family

Areyelle did confide in her father’s sisters, hoping for support. To her dismay, they advised her to keep the family secret under wraps, urging her to maintain silence about her father’s heinous deeds.

“His sister’s were the first ones I actually told and when I told them, they wanted me to keep it in the family.” Areyelle said.

Areyelle said that her father always kept her away from his side of the family, claiming that there were generational curses in the family and he didn’t want her near them. Later, she discovered that what her father had allegedly been doing to her ran in his family.

After telling the family what Mario had done to her the same month she filed charges, Areyelle said her father’s family gave her hell – begging and pleading with her not to go forth with the criminal charges. But then they started saying bad things were going to happen to her if she came out.

“They were telling me that If I went forth with the charges, bad things would happen to me and that the worse was going to happen,” Areyelle said.

Areyelle told The North Carolina Beat that God is using her to break the generational curse of molestation in her father’s family. One particular aunt, Stacey Bell, had told Areyelle to remain silent about what was happening to her. Areyelle said her father’s sisters were spreading rumors that it was a lie, even going to the police department to convince them that she was lying.

Mario Moody confesses 

Mario finally confessed to his pastor, his brother, Areyelle’s three siblings, and her godmother about his actions towards Areyelle. What is even more disgusting is that Areyelle told us that her aunt Stacey had discussed with her about Mario attempting to molest her when they were young. 

“When I actually told my aunt Stacey, she told me that he had attempted the same thing with her when she was younger but when I went forward with the charges everything changed and she shut her mouth,” Areyelle said.

Areyelle’s aunt Stacey Bell tells her ‘nobody needs to know’

A text message provided by Areyelle to The North Carolina Beat shows Stacey telling Areyelle, “nobody needs to know…we work together as a family…my mother side only.” The text message was sent during a conversation in which Areyelle was telling Stacey about what her father had done to her.

Areyelle said that last year, when she, her siblings, her mother, and her father Mario moved to Tarboro, Mario attempted to molest her again, twice. She got tired of being sexually assaulted and decided to speak out. She said she tried to suppress it because Mario kept telling her that if she told, it was going to “break up the family,” and that he was going to commit suicide, and she didn’t want him to do that.

“I just said that I was going to leave but he had an obsession with me and when I tried to leave, he told my mother that I was going down the wrong path in life and that I was crazy and needed help,” Areyelle said.

Areyelle said the only reason her father lied to her mother was to prevent her from leaving so he could continue molesting her. She said she had made a post on Facebook about taking secrets to her grave, and someone sent it to her mother. She said her mother came to her and asked her what secrets she had to take to her grave.

“She said ‘what secrets do you have to take to your grave?’ and I wouldn’t tell her,” Areyelle said. “I didn’t tell her for a few days but I told my aunts.”

Keeping it truthful, Areyelle admitted that she had promised her aunts to keep it a secret within the family, but she simply couldn’t keep that secret any longer. When Areyelle’s mother found out about what was going on, they immediately went to the police.

Areyelle mentioned that she was reminded of a teacher she had in cosmetology school who shared her testimony about a similar experience, which made her feel supported and reassured that she was not alone.

“When I heard her testimony, I felt like I wasn’t alone,” Areyelle said.

The locations where Mario allegedly molested his daughter included his car, the bedroom he shares with Areyelle’s mother, the bathroom, and her bedroom, as reported by Areyelle.

She said her father would also sexually assault her in the kitchen, living room, and anywhere in their home when he felt like it.

“Majority of the places it took place was in my bedroom, the living room and the back bathroom of the house in Roanoke Rapids that my mother own,” Areyelle said.

According to Areyelle, Mario would make advances on her while she was sleeping, calling her name and claiming he was trying to teach her various things. However, it was actually his way of waking her up to commit a crime against her. She said he also molested her in the car while taking her to or from school.

“He also would read the bible and tell my siblings he need to speak with me by myself because he needed to share some things with me about the word of God,” Areyelle said.

She said that Mario claimed that God dropped “something” in his spirit, and that’s when he would molest her. Areyelle said her father never committed these disgusting assaults in front of her three siblings. She said Mario would make them go outside to play or go into the living room and tell them to turn the TV up.

“He would never do it in front of my siblings, Areyelle said. “They were either outside or he’ll make them go in the living room and tell them to turn the tv volume up.”

According to Areyelle, an apostle named Olivia Darling Sharp from the United Full Gospel Revival Center in Weldon, who Mario was preaching for, kicked him out of her ministry after he confessed to molesting Areyelle. He is currently preaching at a church in Stokes, North Carolina, while attempting to conceal his crimes from the church community.

Throughout all of this, Areyelle mentioned that gospel artist Tasha Page-Lockhart’s music, Oprah Winfrey, and Joyce Meyer brought her hope.

She said she wanted to tell her story to spread awareness to other girls who may be experiencing what she went through, letting them know that it is okay to share their own stories.

Mario’s next court date is scheduled for March 25th.