[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
A youth pastor in South Carolina has been accused of filming girls in the bathroom at a church in South Carolina.
According to multiple news reports, 35-year-old ex-pastor Daniel Kellan Mayfield (pictured in his mugshot, above) has been charged with five counts of first degree sexual exploitation of a minor. He has also been charged with one count of voyeurism after being identified as an alleged suspect in a separate incident.
Related: Christian Conservatives Are DEFENDING Youth Pastor Who Dated A 14-Year-Old!
This all started last month when deputies at the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office in upstate South Carolina were notified Mayfield had allegedly filmed a woman who was taking a shower in a private home there. Per WCSC, the woman was showering when she noticed a bright light outside her window. When she went to investigate, she allegedly found Mayfield “standing alone” in the backyard.
Cops began to investigate, and they took out a warrant for Mayfield’s cell phone. That’s when they found something even more disturbing.
When Greenwood County cops searched Mayfield’s phone, according to WJBF News, the deputies allegedly found recordings that had been taken of underage girls and women in the bathroom at the First Baptist Church in the town of Gowensville, South Carolina. The church had been employing Mayfield as a youth pastor.
Upon looking through the images and recordings found on the phone, cops “identified six victims.” Now, they are working to figure out the identities of more girls who were captured in recordings.
Per WJBF, Mayfield allegedly “confessed to making the recordings” when he was interrogated by Greenwood County sheriff’s deputies. They now believe Mayfield set up a secret video recording system in the women’s bathroom inside the First Baptist Church “on at least three occasions” dating back to last summer. The girls captured on video in the bathroom stalls are said to be “as young as 14 years old,” per the news outlet.
Related: Youth Pastor & High School Coach Among 46 Arrested In Sex Trafficking Sting
Those deputies contacted the sheriff’s office in nearby Greenville County — where Gowensville is situated — to report the incident. Mayfield was officially arrested and booked in that county on the sexual exploitation charges on Thursday of last week. He has since been fired from his youth pastor role.
For what it’s worth, sheriff’s deputies have told local media outlets they do not believe anyone else at the church was involved in recording or viewing the videos. Even so, First Baptist Gowensville has moved to distance themselves from Mayfield. In addition to firing him, they released a statement last week noting they are aware of “an incident of moral misconduct perpetrated by one of our staff members.”
The church’s statement went on:
“We remain dedicated to providing a safe worship environment and will be ever vigilant in protecting all persons involved in any of our events.”
Per People, Mayfield is currently being held at the Greenville County Detention Center.
A judge chose not to grant Mayfield bond. He will next appear before a circuit court judge later this month to determine whether he may qualify to be released on bond prior to court hearings ahead of a trial.
Related: Youth Pastor Arrested After Admitting To Underage Sex Crime
One horrified church member in Gowensville, Isabella Godfry, spoke to WYFF News about the situation:
“You would never think someone you know. That’s like a family, because that’s what our church is, it’s like a family. You would never think something so devastating would happen in that little circle of people.”
Another church member named Benjamin Green spoke to WJBF about it, too:
“I’m concerned about my wife and my daughters being on that camera.”
You can see more on this awful situation (below):
Despicable.
Our hearts go out to the girls and women who were violated in this alleged act.
If you have sincere cause to suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources.
[Image via WYFF News 4/YouTube/Greenville County Sheriff’s Office]
