In July, then-pastor Don Williams, his wife Ginny, the director for the church’s school, Jennifer “Niki” Howard, and the church’s director of operations, Michael Fields, were arrested on charges that a convicted sex offender was allowed access to the daycare and school.
The offender, Warren Spence Perry, 70, had been allowed to serve as a volunteer custodian at the church and school. Williams maintained that the church had put “stringent … accountability measures in place” in allowing Perry to attend worship services.
Georgetown County Chief Magistrate Judge Anthony Love dismissed all charges of obstruction of justice, conspiracy and unlawfully placing a child at risk against Don Williams and Howard. Obstruction of justice and conspiracy charges were dropped against Ginny Williams, as was the charge of unlawfully placing a child at risk against Fields.
Charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy were also dropped against Perry. He was released on Friday (Nov. 6) after remaining in jail since July 14 over a probation violation, WMBF News reported.
Howard’s attorney, Erin Bailey, said probation agents with the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services (SCDPPPS) knew Perry volunteered at the church, that a preschool was located there and that incidental contact with children was allowed.
“They had done a site visit to the church, so they were very well aware,” Bailey said. “They had met with Pastor Don Williams and given him guidelines under which Warren Perry could continue to volunteer as a groundskeeper at Pawleys Island Community Church, and those guidelines were followed.”
In short, she explained that the evidence presented at the magistrate hearing did not meet the level of the charges against the defendants.
“Whether what she did was a crime or not, you know, I think everybody can agree that some bad judgment was used,” Bailey said. “That doesn’t mean it rises to the level of a crime.”
Baptist Press reached out to the attorney for Don and Ginny Williams, but did not get a response.
Williams, who had led the church for 27 years, his wife and Howard resigned their leadership roles. Fields is now cited as the church’s former director of operations and missions.
According to Bailey, the state’s argument included photos from church and school events that Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver displayed at a July news conference announcing the arrests.
“I stand firmly behind the thorough work of this agency’s investigators and the agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division,” Weaver said in a statement.
The Southern Baptist Convention and Executive Committee were included in a federal class-action lawsuit over the case filed in August. Last month, those claims were dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. State-level lawsuits involving other defendants are ongoing.
Scott Barkley is chief national correspondent for Baptist Press.