Duggar Family Friend Arrested for Child Sex Abuse + 11 More Shocking Church Scandals from June 2025

Today, I’m breaking down twelve stories of criminal activity connected to Baptist churches throughout June 2025.

This article is obviously going to be heavy and contain a lot of information, but we need to be honest about the sheer volume of these cases—and discuss the commonality between them.

The reality is, when I share news stories and interview survivors on this show, it’s never about just one scandal—it’s about the patterns surrounding them.

This article and it’s accompanying episode was prepared on June 25, 2025.

A Texas Youth Pastor Groomed a 15 Year Old

After my last episode was filmed at the end of May, there was another arrest which raised serious concerns in a Texas church community.

On May 30, Nathan Patrick Roach, a youth pastor at First Baptist Church of Holliday, was booked into Archer County Jail.

Authorities say Roach began communicating with someone he believed to be a young teen and engaged in behavior consistent with grooming tactics.

The grooming started in 2022 when the child was 15 years old.

Roach started out as the youth pastor at First Baptist Church Holliday, and eventually became the lead pastor in 2024.

The church has not publicly addressed the arrest.

Roach’s bio and past videos have since been removed from the church’s website and YouTube page.

Michigan Pastor Abused His Own Daughters Over a 13 Year Period

Just a few days later, on June 5, in Midland, Michigan, a former pastor was sentenced to 11-25 years in prison for sexually abusing his own daughters.

The abuse took place over a span of 13 years, from 2005 to 2018.

Dave Clark/Midland Daily News

Haught was an associate pastor at Midland Baptist Church and more recently, a deacon at Grace Baptist Church in Coleman.

Court testimony revealed Haught used his role in the church and his authority at home to manipulate, isolate, and abuse his daughters. The judge overseeing the case labeled his actions, “classic grooming behavior.”

Before sentencing, the judge received letters from about 15 people, including Haught’s friends, family members, and some fellow inmates, vouching for his character and insisting he wasn’t capable of the crimes he’d been convicted of.

Here’s a quote from Midland County Circuit Court Judge Stephen Carrass regarding the letters:

"They see you as a man of God who would never do the things that you have been convicted of doing. They cannot reconcile your crimes with what they know of you. The reason why is because they weren't here and didn't see and hear the evidence that was presented to the court."

Sadly, these glowing character letters aren’t rare in abuse cases. They’re part of a pattern. Over and over, when abuse comes to light, the church rallies to protect the reputation of the abuser, without even considering or mentioning the trauma of the victims.

Husband and Wife Evangelistic Team Face Felony Child Abuse Charges

Now to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where a pastor and his wife are facing a staggering list of charges tied to the sexual abuse of children.

Benjamin Garlick, a traveling evangelist, is currently facing 16 felony charges related to child sexual abuse, including:

• 7 counts of aggravated rape of a child

• 6 counts of aggravated sexual battery

• 2 counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child

• 1 count of soliciting sexual exploitation of a minor

Garlick was first arrested in September 2023 after a grand jury issued a sealed indictment. Since then, more charges have been added as the investigation developed. His trial is set to begin on July 28, 2025 and is expected to last five days.

Also facing trial is his estranged wife, Shaantel Garlick, who was arrested as well. She has been charged with:

• 2 counts of aggravated child abuse, neglect, or endangerment

• 2 counts of felony facilitation

I first reported on the Garlick’s in September of 2023, you may view that coverage here:

Texas Pastor Sent Phone Sex Operator Images of Young Children

On June 6th, new charges were brought against a longtime church leader in Texas.

In Denton, Texas—Jim Mustain, a Baptist pastor and former employee with the Lewisville Independent School District, was charged with five felony counts related to the possession of child sexual abuse material.

The investigation began after an anonymous tip from a former phone sex operator, reporting that Mustain shared disturbing images of young children with her via Skype and expressed explicit interest in them. Police later confirmed the images and found additional material on his laptop after executing a search warrant.

Mustain previously served at the Preston Trail Community Church, which says a third-party investigation found no misconduct during his time there.

He also volunteered in Lewisville ISD schools. Both the church and school district say there are no known victims connected to his roles and he is no longer permitted on campus.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police.

Viral TikTok Exposes a Worship Pastor in North Carolina

In North Carolina, a quiet resignation followed viral accusations that shook a local worship community.

Brandon McClure, a worship pastor at Bethesda Church in Clayton, quietly resigned after disturbing allegations surfaced online.

A viral TikTok posted by a former member accuses McClure of inappropriate behavior and manipulation within the church context.

As of this recording, McClure has not been formally charged, but the church confirmed his departure and stated it had severed ties with him.

Louisiana Pastor Raped Child

In Louisiana, Shane Phillip Wiggins—a former pastor of Baldwin Baptist Mission Church—was arrested in early June 2025 and charged with first-degree rape and molestation of a child.

According to law enforcement, the investigation began in December 2024 after a woman came forward alleging that Wiggins had engaged in inappropriate behavior with her child in recent years.

Detectives interviewed the child and several witnesses, but Wiggins declined to speak with investigators. A warrant was issued after authorities were unable to locate him.

Wiggins reportedly left his congregation around the first weekend of February, and had not been in contact since a final conversation with a fellow pastor on January 28, 2025.

He was located and arrested in Paris, Texas, following coordination between Louisiana and Texas law enforcement. He remains in custody, waiting to face charges in Louisiana.

Florida Teacher Arrested After Attempting to Meet Minor

Then, on June 11th, a teacher and church leader in Florida was arrested after he allegedly used a computer to solicit a child and attempt to meet a minor for sex.

35-year-old Joshua Dice was a teacher at Calvary Christian Academy and also held a position at Calvary Baptist Church.

Both institutions announced they cut all ties with him immediately following the arrest and are cooperating with law enforcement.

The school and church emphasized the charges were unrelated to their activities.

Dice remains in custody, and the investigation is ongoing.

Florida Pastor Faces 65 Years in Fraud Case

On June 12th, a Florida pastor rejected a plea deal in a high-profile fraud and elder exploitation case.

In Florida, Miami Gardens pastor Eric Readon of New Beginning Missionary Bapitist Church appeared in court on Wednesday, June 12. He is now facing up to 65 years in prison.

Prosecutors say he orchestrated a complex financial scheme and now faces multiple charges, including:

• Organized fraud

• Exploitation of the elderly

• Theft

• Grand theft

• Scheme to defraud

Readon is accused of defrauding a 76-year-old man, Edward Fuller, out of his home and more than $267,000, allegedly convincing him to sign over partial ownership of the property under false pretenses—then selling it and pocketing the proceeds.

This court appearance comes shortly after a separate fraud case, where Readon accepted a no contest plea in a property theft case involving two other victims.

While the case doesn’t involve sexual abuse, it’s another example of spiritual authority being used for personal power and profit.

A status hearing in the Miami-Dade case is scheduled for June 23, and his trial is set for July 7, 2025.

Duggar Family Friend Charged with Sexual Abuse of a Minor

On June 13, Carver Bowers, a Christian influencer with past ties to the Duggar family – who was even rumored to be dating one of their daughters – was arrested on multiple counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, including being charged with sexual abuse of a child under 12. He was bailed out the same day he was booked, at $20,000 per charge, and has not yet been given a court date. Following the arrest, Carver deleted his Instagram, and his wife Haley set her social media accounts to private.

Despite the nature of the charges, Haley released a now-circulating statement (captured by Reddit users), saying, “The devil couldn’t reach our marriage in other ways... I will be standing by his side every step of the way.”

The couple, who married in April 2024, had built an online brand promoting Christ-centered relationships—a message now deeply at odds with the allegations.

Former Virginia Pastor Faces Child Sex Crime Charges

On June 16th, a former pastor in Virginia entered a plea in a decades-old child abuse case.

Former Victory Baptist Church pastor, Albert Wharton, entered an Alford plea to eight felony counts related to child sexual abuse.

Just a quick overview for those who don’t know, an Alford plea allows a defendant to maintain their innocence while still accepting a guilty plea—acknowledging that the prosecution has enough evidence to likely result in a guilty verdict.

Wharton was arrested in December 2023, in South Carolina and initially faced 30 total charges for abuse that allegedly occurred between 1981 and 1997 while he worked at Berachah Academy, a church-run school.

As part of the plea agreement, the remaining charges were dropped. Wharton maintains his innocence but acknowledged that the evidence could likely result in a conviction at trial.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 8, 2025.

Mississippi Deacon Caught in Sting Operation

Back in March 7, 2024, detectives in Ridgeland, Mississippi launched an undercover sting.

Officers posed as an underage boy on a same-sex dating app—bait for predators hunting for children.

One of the men who took the bait was 60-year-old Mark Wayne Williams – a deacon at First Baptist Jackson.

He believed he was talking to a child. He arranged a meeting. He showed up.

Instead of a child, he was met by law enforcement—and arrested on March 9th.

By September 16, he pleaded guilty to exploitation of a child.

On June 16, 2025, He was sentenced to 15 years, with 10 suspended. He’ll serve just five behind bars – then walk free on supervised probation. He’s now a registered sex offender.

And if the name “First Baptist Jackson” rings a bell—it should.

Amy Smith of Watchkeep put out a reminder that this is the same church where, in the early 1980s, John Langworthy was involved with youth choirs.

During that time, Langworthy sexually abused several boys while serving as a college student and youth choir leader at First Baptist Church of Jackson and Daniel Memorial Baptist Church.

After leaving Mississippi, Langworthy worked as a youth music minister at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Texas, where further allegations of abuse surfaced in 1989. Instead of reporting him to authorities, Prestonwood quietly dismissed him. Langworthy then returned to Mississippi, where he was hired in 1990 as music minister at Morrison Heights Baptist Church in Clinton, a position he held for over two decades.

In 2011, after victims came forward, Langworthy stood before his congregation at Morrison Heights and confessed to sexual abuse of minors in both Texas and Mississippi.

Watch his confession here: https://x.com/i/status/1869574838022480028

The church allowed him to resign but did not immediately report his admission to law enforcement. Only after public and media pressure did authorities investigate, leading to Langworthy’s indictment and eventual guilty plea to five counts of gratification of lust related to abuse in Mississippi from 1980 to 1984. He received a 50-year suspended sentence, was placed on probation, and is now a registered sex offender.

Christian School in Washington Sued by Former Student

A 29-year-old woman, Shelby McGee, has filed a lawsuit against Faith Baptist Church in Spokane, Washington, its affiliated school, and two former leaders, alleging she was groomed and sexually assaulted by then-principal Dan Kobernat between 2011–2013 while she was a student at Faith Baptist Academy. The suit also names recently retired pastor Greg Boyle, claiming he knowingly hired Kobernat despite being aware of his past abuse of female students at another school. McGee, who was 16 at the time, says the abuse occurred repeatedly in her home and at school, and that the church’s culture of silence and lack of sex education left her unaware that what was happening was assault.

The alleged abuse stopped after Kobernat’s wife discovered inappropriate text messages, but no criminal charges were filed due to Washington's statute of limitations. McGee shared her story on the Cult Confessions podcast to encourage other victims within the Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) movement to speak out.

With the help of close friends and fellow survivors, she is now seeking justice through the legal system, determined to hold her abuser – and those who enabled him – accountable.

WRAP-UP

So here we are—another month of stories that show, again and again, the same devastating pattern:

People in spiritual authority. Trusted by families. Given access to kids. And enabled by systems that prioritize image, influence, and institutional protection over truth and accountability.

And remember: these are just the stories that surfaced publicly in June.

If you know anything about an ongoing case, especially if a victim or suspect is still out there – please contact local law enforcement.

Survivors deserve to be heard. Institutions must be held accountable.