Tag Archives: Youth Pastor

Memphis’s NBC affiliate reports: A Bartlett man is behind bars indicted on rape charges. John Miller, a former youth volunteer at Hope Church, is charged with rape of a child—a class-A felony. According to the indictment, the crime allegedly occurred in 2006; the case was presented to a grand jury last month. Hope Church says all its volunteers must undergo repeated …

Montgomery’s ABC affiliate reports: A local youth group volunteer from Troy was arrested last month on child pornography charges. Pike County District Attorney James Tarbox says Samuel Andrew McCall was arrested on Wednesday, January 29, and charged with one count of Possession of Child Pornography with Intent to Disseminate. McCall was arrested by state agents after an investigation with the …

Jackson, Tennessee’s ABC affiliate reports: 40-year-old Ryan Kelley McElrath is charged with statutory rape by an authority figure, sexual battery by an authority figure, and aggravated statutory rape. The charges stem from a May 2024 incident that occurred at Fellowship Bible Church in Jackson. McElrath was working as a youth pastor at the church at the time. Records show that …

Michigan Live reports: A former youth pastor charged with more than 30 felonies for sexually abusing children will stay in jail. Washtenaw County District Court Judge J. Cedric Simpson denied Zachary Joseph Radcliff’s bond after hearing from prosecutors how the 29-year-old temporarily fled to Virginia during the ongoing investigation and repeatedly contacted a victim who came forward. This means, absent …

Bakersfield’s CBS affiliate reports: A 41-year-old Tehachapi youth pastor was arrested Monday following an investigation that revealed an alleged sexual assault of a teen victim. On January 27, 2025, Tehachapi police arrested Adrian Daugherty, 41, following an investigation that alleges Daugherty committed lewd and lascivious acts with a minor. Daugherty is a youth pastor at the Tehachapi Church of the …

Duluth’s Fox affiliate reports: While the criminal cases against former Duluth Vineyard youth pastor Jackson Gatlin were prevented by a plea deal, new lawsuits aim to discover how sexual abuse within the church went overlooked for so long. On Nov. 6, Jackson Gatlin pled guilty to five counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a child. Gatlin received a 13-year sentence …

The Tallahassee Democrat reports: The Leon County Sheriff’s Office arrested a church employee for allegedly assaulting a teenager who attended the church he served at. Hunter Eubanks, 30, was arrested Wednesday on charges of sexual assault of a minor, cruelty toward a child, aggravated battery on a child, use of a computer to lure a child, obscene communication and travel …

Michigan Live reports: A Washtenaw County youth pastor already facing life in prison has been arraigned on nearly two dozen additional felony charges, including more counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Zachary Joseph Radcliff, 29, has been charged with a total of 33 felonies after he was arraigned on 22 new charges Nov. 26 before 14A-1 District Court Judge J. …

Yahoo News reports: A former Duluth youth pastor has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for sexually assaulting multiple young girls during his time at the church. Jackson Michael Gatlin, 36, was sentenced to 156 months in prison yesterday after pleading guilty to five counts of criminal sexual conduct on Nov. 6. He must also register as a sex …

Charleston’s CBS affiliate reports: A pastor and youth minister at various churches in West Virginia and his wife have been arrested in a child sexual abuse investigation, troopers said. John Waitman Radcliff II, 57, and Kathy Jean Radcliff, 52, face nearly 200 total charges in a sexual assault investigation dating back several decades in multiple counties, according to a news …

The Minnesota Star-Tribune reports: Jackson Gatlin, dressed in a dark suit with his hands cuffed behind his back, was led by authorities from the courtroom Wednesday morning after pleading guilty to felony-level criminal sexual conduct in a case where numerous women have come forward with similar accusations of being sexually assaulted as girls when he was their youth leader at …

The Steele County Times reports: The former youth minister and principal of a school associated with Christian Family Church in Owatonna has been sentenced a 21-month prison term, stayed for five years, and 364 days in jail. Luverne Daniel Zacharias, 46, of Medford, was remanded to custody immediately after the sentencing Monday; he has no credit for time served. He …

Abilene’s ABC affiliate reports: A youth leader at Beltway Park Church has been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography. According to court documents, a member of the church contacted Abilene Police with concerns regarding one of their youth leaders. Documents state Charles Goff met with a fellow church member and admitted to struggling with pornography. Goff specifically said …

Greenville’s NBC affiliate reports: A former youth pastor first arrested last year in Greenwood County, South Carolina, for voyeurism now faces dozens more charges across the state, officials said. Lt. Kevin Bobo with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that deputies have now finished their investigation on Daniel Kellan Mayfield, 36, of Boiling Springs. “A majority of these incidents …

Michigan Live reports: An Ypsilanti-area youth pastor is accused of forcing a girl to perform oral sex on him and using a social media app to arrange payment for photographs of children, according to police. Zachary Joseph Radcliff, 29, allegedly used Snapchat to arrange meetups with children where he would pay them for videos and photographs, Sgt. Gilberto Oliveria with …

The Birmingham News reports: An Alabama youth pastor is facing sex trafficking charges in Florida after he allegedly sex trafficked a girl in multiple states. Stephen Johnson, 40, whom prosecutors said has volunteered as a youth pastor at an unnamed Birmingham church for more than a decade, met the victim on social media when she was 12 years old and …

From the Justice Department: A 41-year-old Claremont, California man was convicted yesterday of abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft enroute to Seattle from Burbank, California, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Justin Baker was arrested March 14, 2024, when the Alaska Airlines plane arrived at SEA. Baker was taken into custody again yesterday immediately after the jury returned its guilty …

Charleston’s ABC affiliate reports: A Darlington County youth pastor allegedly had sexual misconduct with a minor, according to the sheriff’s office. Andrew Payne was arrested and charged with sex/criminal sexual conduct with a minor in the third degree commit/attempt lewd act. At the time of this incident, Payne was the minor’s youth pastor, the sheriff’s office confirmed. Payne turned himself …

Grand Rapids’ ABC affiliate reports: Daniel Byron DeVries, of Fruitport Township, originally faced six felony counts of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material and three counts of using a computer to commit a crime. This week, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child sexually abusive material and one count of using a computer to commit a …

Abilene’s CBS affiliate reports: An Abilene preschool employee has pleaded guilty to producing child pornography. Mark Eichorn pleading guilty to Production of Child Pornography in Federal court Tuesday morning. He will be sentenced for the crime after a pre-sentencing investigation. Court documents state Eichorn was acting as a “sugar daddy” for children in another state, paying them to send the …