Benjamin Garlick, a traveling pastor associated with the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist movement, will spend the rest of his life in prison after a jury in Rutherford County, Tennessee, convicted him and his wife, Shaantal Garlick, of child sex crimes on Monday.
Garlick, 35, and his 32-year-old wife were both found guilty of the crimes following a two-week trial, a press release from the Murfreesboro Police Department said. Garlick was found guilty of seven counts of aggravated rape of a child, six counts of aggravated sexual battery, one count of solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor, and two counts of violating the Child Protection Act. Shaantal Garlick was convicted on two counts of facilitation of aggravated rape of a child and two counts of aggravated child neglect.
Circuit Court Judge Barry Tidwell sentenced the traveling pastor to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the aggravated rape charges. He is expected to be sentenced for the remaining charges on Nov. 10, the same day his wife is expected to be sentenced for her alleged role in facilitating his crimes.
Assistant District Attorney General Hugh Ammerman told The Daily News Journal that the alleged victims in the case involved three girls aged 8 and younger.
“All three victims showed great courage and resilience when called to the witness stand,” Ammerman told the publication. “I hope that the jury’s decision will help them to heal and put these events behind them as they return their focus to the day-to-day of being kids.”
Court records cited by The Daily News Journal show most of the charges against Garlick relating to alleged crimes that occurred between Feb. 13, 2021, and Aug. 14, 2023. At least two date back to on or after July 1, 2014. Ammerman also noted that Garlick came from a home church in California and that he is “a traveling evangelical pastor associated with the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) movement.”
The MPD Special Victims Unit said they began investigating Pastor Garlick on Aug. 15, 2023, regarding the alleged sexual abuse of a then 5-year-old child over several years. Two more alleged victims were later identified, and they determined that Shaantal Garlick knowingly neglected the victim and assisted in the commission of the sexual abuse against the child.
The pastor was remanded in custody at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center until his next sentencing hearing. His wife, who Ammerman said has filed for divorce, was out on bond but was taken into custody following Monday’s verdict.
“The Murfreesboro Police Department thanks all members of the Child Protective Investigative Team (CPIT) for their tireless work throughout this investigation and trial, ensuring the victims’ voices were heard and justice was served,” Detective James Wilkinson, lead investigator on the case, said in a statement. “The children of Rutherford County are safer because of the compassion, dedication, and commitment each member of the CPIT Team brings to their roles every day.”
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