Authorities arrested a fifth person in the ongoing investigation into Pawleys Island Community Church and its affiliated Pawleys Island Christian Academy, following allegations that leadership allowed a convicted sex offender to volunteer near children for years.
On Wednesday, the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Michael Anthony Fields as part of the investigation into the South Carolina church. Fields has been charged with “Unlawfully Placing a Child at Risk or Causing a Child Harm,” according to the sheriff’s office.
“Fields serves as Director of Operations/Missions at the church and was responsible for the security of the entire campus and the safety of the students of the Pawleys Island Christian Academy (PICA),” the sheriff’s office stated.
“The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office is in the third week of its investigation into how church leadership allowed convicted sex offender Warren Perry to volunteer on campus in close proximity to children for years,” the statement continued.
“As the investigation has widened, partners from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center, the Children’s Recovery Center, the Attorney General’s Office, the South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS), and the SC Department of Probation, Pardon and Parole have all been instrumental in moving different facets forward.”
Fields was booked into the Georgetown County Detention Center. His bond hearing was scheduled for Thursday at the Georgetown County Magistrates’ Court at 333 Cleland St.
During the hearing, a no-contact order was put in place, and Fields was granted a $250,000 bond, WBTW reported.
Pawleys Island Community Church did not immediately respond to The Christian Post’s request for comment. This article will be updated if a response is received.
The investigation into Pawleys Island Community Church’s leadership follows the discovery that church leaders allowed convicted sex offender Warren Perry to volunteer on church grounds.
In a July 17 Facebook post, Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver said the church’s pastor, Don Williams, his wife Ginny, and Pawleys Island Christian Academy Director Niki Howard had resigned from their positions. Weaver also noted that Perry was allowed to volunteer “despite the fact that a day care and school existed on site.”
“These resignations mean nothing with regard to the ongoing investigation of the church allowing a sex offender to be in close proximity with children at the church school,” the sheriff said.
Last Monday, the sheriff’s office announced that all of the church officials who had resigned had been charged with “Criminal Conspiracy and Obstruction.” The pastor faces an additional charge of “Unlawfully Placing a Child at Risk or Causing a Child Harm.”
“A concerned citizen made everyone aware of his activities being around children at Pawleys Island Christian Academy after she viewed Mr. Perry on the sex offender registry,” Weaver said during a press conference last week.
According to the sheriff, Perry volunteered as a custodian at Pawleys Island Christian Academy.
The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office first announced the arrest of Perry on July 14. Perry was arrested for violating the conditions of his probation for a 2023 Sexual Exploitation of a Minor conviction by volunteering for an organization that works in close proximity to children by operating an elementary school, preschool and nursery.
Earlier this month, a $25 million class-action lawsuit was filed in state court against Pawleys Island Christian Academy and Pawleys Island Community Church on behalf of all students who attended within the past six years.
Another lawsuit alleges that Perry sexually abused a child during his tenure at the school. The alleged incident involved a “game” that involved sexual acts, which took place in June 2022.
After the child’s parents told school leadership about the incident, the school responded by asking if the child had made up the account, according to a local news report.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
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