Four Georgetown church leaders arrested over child offender

Four people, including a former pastor and a school director, have been arrested in Georgetown County, South Carolina, after authorities allege they knowingly allowed a convicted offender to volunteer at a church and its affiliated preschool. The arrests on July 20, 2026, follow a week-long investigation sparked by a parent's complaint and have ignited community outrage and a multi-million dollar lawsuit.

The Georgetown County Sheriff's Office announced charges against Warren Spence Perry, 70, former pastor Don Williams, his wife and former church administrator Ginny Williams, and former Pawleys Island Christian Academy director Jennifer "Niki" Howard. All four face charges of obstruction and criminal conspiracy. Don Williams and Howard face an additional charge of unlawfully placing a child at risk or causing a child harm.

The investigation began after a parent alerted the sheriff's office on July 13, alleging a convicted offender was volunteering at Pawleys Island Community Church and its school in close proximity to children. Perry had been convicted in 2023 of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, and a condition of his parole explicitly barred him from contact with...