Wolves Among the Sheep > Christian singer - 160 charges of CSA/CSAM; Fla. Pastor gets 12 Life Sentences for CSA/CSAM

 

Christian singer charged with child sex abuse

A Tennessee musician has been charged with 160 counts related to alleged child sex abuse, including rape, according to court documents.

Phillip Vaught was arrested over the weekend following an extensive and lengthy investigation by Hendersonville police.

A Sumner County indictment lists 160 counts against Vaught, which include sexual abuse of a child, rape and exploitation.

The charges, according to local news outlet WECT, include five counts alleging sexual abuse of a child, including aggravated rape and soliciting sexual exploitation. A further 76 counts allege that Vaught unlawfully and knowingly used a minor in the production of material that includes the minor engaging in sexual activity. Several other counts relate to allegations of possession of child pornography, amongst other charges.

Court records indicate the alleged crimes date back to 2015 and continued as recently as January 2026.

Vaught, a Nashville-based country rock singer, has been described as a crossover artist with Christian and gospel roots. His father is a Baptist minister.

He is currently being held on a $1.5 million bond.

Former SBC Pastor Receives 3 Consecutive Life Sentences Following Conviction for Child Sex Abuse Material

Jonathan Elwing, a former Southern Baptist pastor, has been convicted of multiple charges involving child sex abuse material (CSAM). He has been given 12 life sentences in total.  

Editor’s note: This article refers to disturbing reports of child sex abuse, which some readers might find triggering.

Elwing was serving as pastor of Palm View Baptist Church in Palmetto, Florida, at the time of his arrest in June 2024. The church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).

Elwing resigned from his role as pastor shortly before being taken into custody. 

Elwing was arrested after an investigation revealed that he used cryptocurrency to purchase CSAM. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the church and Elwing’s home and found CSAM on Elwing’s phone. 

At the time, Larry Bianchi, the chair of Palm View’s deacon board, denounced Elwing’s crimes and emphasized that “the people of the church are the church.”

“The pastor may be the front man, he may be the leader of the church—and we need a new one,” Bianchi said. “But Palm View Baptist Church will go on because of the strength of the congregation.”

“Personally, I keep thinking it is a really bad dream, and I am going to wake up from it, but unfortunately, this happens in society,” said Bianchi. “It happens more often than not in places where children can be seen. There’s a lot of children in church.”

RELATED: Trial Date Set for Former SBC Pastor Charged With Producing and Possessing CSAM

Prosecutors later added 14 additional charges to Elwing’s case. These charges included six more counts of possession of CSAM, six counts of use of a child in a sexual performance, and two counts of sexual battery on a person less than 12 years old—which is a capital offense.