Alabama Youth Pastor Arrested On Child Sex Charge

The Decatur Daily reports:

A former member of Grace River Community Church in Decatur said Tuesday that he left the church after one of its leaders was arrested and charged with electronic solicitation of a child and violating the Sex Offenders Registration and Community Notification Act. “It seems to me that a background check would’ve caught this,” said Josh Harris, 38, of Decatur. “It blew me away. How did this happen? How did this guy get around my children?”

The defendant is 51-year-old John Justin McCall, of Madison, and authorities said he was arrested on the charges after a multi-agency investigation, including assistance from the Department of Homeland Security and the Decatur Police Department, that ended with a search of his residence. McCall lists his position with Grace River Community Churchas “worship pastor” since July 2022. His duties included overseeing youth groups and teaching new songs.

Read the full article. Police have not disclosed the nature or date of his prior sex conviction. Per the linked article, McCall previously worked for ten years as a “daily singer” at the creationist Ark Encounter attraction in Kentucky. Small blurry mugshot here.

Alabama evangelical church worship leader, John McCall, has been arrested for attempting to meet up with a child for sexual purposes & failing to register as a convicted sex offender. pic.twitter.com/tuhGfY23sh

— 𝐁𝐞𝐤𝐬 (@antifaoperative) October 19, 2023