Wisconsin priest charged with child sex crimes dismissed from clerical state
(OSV News) — A former Wisconsin priest charged with child enticement, attempted sexual assault and possession of child sex abuse material has been laicized.
Andrew Showers “has been released from the rights, duties, and obligations of the clerical state,” said Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison in a June 25 letter to the faithful.
Showers, who had been ordained in 2017 for that diocese, had “petitioned the Vatican for a dispensation from the obligations associated with the clerical state, and that petition was granted by Pope Leo XIV,” said Bishop Hying, who noted he had “received notification from the Holy See” regarding the decision.
The bishop explained that Showers “may no longer exercise priestly ministry, including the celebration of Mass, baptism, anointing of the sick, etc., or other functions proper to a priest.”
In addition, said Bishop Hying, “he is not to wear clerical attire, including the Roman collar, and should no longer be addressed as ‘Father’ or ‘Reverend.'”
OSV News has confirmed with Waupaca County, Wisconsin, officials that the 38-year-old Showers remains free on a $10,000 cash bond.
He had been arrested in August 2025 for attempting to meet up with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl named “Abby.”
In reality, then-Father Showers — who drove some 120 miles north of his parish at the time for the encounter — had been exchanging sexually explicit messages and images on Reddit and Telegram with an undercover sergeant.
In that incident, the now-former priest — who at the time had been director of the diocese’s Office of Worship and parochial vicar for Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Madison — was charged with child enticement, use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, and attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child.
The charges, all felonies, carry maximum sentences of anywhere from 20 to 40 years, and fines ranging from $50,000 to $100,000.
Additional charges — two felony counts of possession of child pornography — were brought against him in March 2026 following an investigation of his digital devices, which had been seized during his 2025 arrest.
Currently, the 2025 charges and March charges are being prosecuted as separate cases, both of which are ongoing, according to court records.
In April, Showers appeared in court, waiving his right to a preliminary hearing and pleading not guilty.
A status conference has been set in the cases for July 29, according to court records.
In his June 25 letter, Bishop Hying said, “As I have indicated previously, I remain committed to transparent and timely communication regarding this sad and difficult situation.”
The bishop, writing in March, had expressed his “profound sorrow” over the “deeply troubling” news of the additional charges, saying the diocese is “cooperating fully with the civil authorities.”
Last year, Bishop Hying and the diocese had clarified their responses to 2021 and 2024 complaints about Father Showers, which respectively involved a penitent-clergy exchange with a minor during confession and the alleged groping of an adult woman at a public event.
In an Aug. 27, 2025, message to the faithful, Bishop Hying noted that “a complaint about Fr. Showers was made to the diocese by a parent in December 2021,” in which “the parent expressed concern about pastoral questions which were asked of a male middle-school child during the Sacrament of Confession.”
Bishop Hying said the parent had reported those concerns to the Lodi, Wisconsin, police department, which determined after interviewing the father and child that “the incident did not rise to the level of a criminal act” and did therefore “not refer the matter further or pursue it with the diocese.”
Both the diocese and Bishop Hying had released respective statements on Sept. 5 and 6, 2025, regarding the alleged 2024 incident, which involved a young woman named Patricia Moriarty, who publicly identified herself as the victim during a Sept. 4, 2025, press conference.
Bishop Hying said in his statement at that time that it was “false to state that I or diocesan staff knew of abuse allegations against Fr. Showers and failed to act on information which had been received about him.”
The diocese said in its statement then that while he and the diocese had been in communication, Moriarty’s father, John, “would not share essential information with diocesan staff designated to handle allegations, including the name of the priest, the location where the alleged incident occurred, and/or which police department was investigating.”
“Had we known that Fr. Showers was the priest in question behind the 2024 allegation, immediate action could and would have been taken,” said the diocese at the time.
Bishop Hying concluded his June 25 letter by saying, “I ask for your continued prayers for all those affected and commend everyone involved, including Andrew, to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. May we find comfort in the Lord’s unfailing love and mercy, remembering that He remains with us in every trial, suffering, and sorrow.”
Priestly secrets and sexual misconduct at University of Notre Dame
A recent report says two Catholic priests long associated with the University of Notre Dame preyed on male students and other young adults over a number of years — but victims and other critics say church and school officials haven’t come clean about all of the sexual misconduct they know about.
And the clerics — both with ties to the Chicago area — were allowed to stay in ministry long after church and school officials were said to have been aware of some of the potential misconduct.
Those are the central takeaways from interviews with the Chicago Sun-Times and a recently released report commissioned by Notre Dame detailing accusations of sexual misconduct by the Rev. Thomas King, who is now retired, and the Rev. David Porterfield, who died in November.
As much as the report reveals, it also raises questions that Notre Dame, the Catholic religious order that helps oversee it and the lawyer hired by the school to investigate will not answer — even though school officials made a public apology to victims and pledged greater accountability and transparency.
The report focused largely on the conduct of the priests while they were at Notre Dame and its sister school, Holy Cross College, both near South Bend, Indiana, and overseen by their order of priests and religious brothers, the Congregation of Holy Cross.
King had been the rector of Notre Dame’s Zahm Hall dormitory from 1980 to 1997, a period in which he was accused of subjecting at least 15 Notre Dame University and Holy Cross College students to a “scheme” in which he had them strip naked or nearly so under the guise of needing to weigh them out of concern for their health, the report says.
The report also found that “multiple individuals, some of whom were weighed, were sexually touched or assaulted by Fr. King, both at Notre Dame and after he left.”
King attended high school at what’s now called Notre Dame College Prep in Niles, where “he taught history, Latin and theology” after he was ordained a priest in 1969 and “also served as the school’s athletic director until his departure in 1979,” according to the report.
King’s religious order oversaw the high school at the time, and the report says: “We know of no complaints made during his time there.”
The lawyer who completed the report was hired by the university in September as the college faced mounting activism from some alumni. The investigation initially was focused on King, then expanded to also include Porterfield as people familiar with his misconduct pressed forward.
The finished product does not detail Porterfield’s tenure at the high school.
TikTok video about sex offenders in James River Church 'inaccurate'
Susan Szuch
An Ozarks church is facing questions after a social media user known for her baby formula "social experiment" posted a video of a phone call with the church, though it alleges the caller was misleading and that the new employee who answered it gave inaccurate responses.
Nikalie Monroe posted a video on June 25 where she called James River Church South in Ozark and is told by the receptionist that someone who has been convicted of child sexual abuse can attend services. As of Friday morning, the video has more than 8,000 likes, more than 500 saves and nearly 2,000 shares.
In an emailed statement, James River Church said that Monroe's questions were "misleading and manipulative," that the receptionist handling the call was newly employed and "not yet fully trained to handle this type of calculated interaction," and that registered sex offenders are not permitted on any campus without prior approval and a signed attendance agreement.
Receptionist's responses do not reflect policies, church says
Monroe is known for her viral videos where she called churches and places of worship, testing their willingness to provide assistance by posing as a mother asking for formula. Most recently, she's been posting a series of videos where her questions address the safety of children in the church, posing as a woman whose husband is a registered sex offender who abused their daughter. The video featuring James River Church is part 25.
"I was wanting to see if me, my husband and 8-year-old daughter could attend Sunday, it's just he is a registered child (sex) offender, so I wanted to see if it would be an issue if we came," Monroe said in the video, adding that he's not supposed to be around kids.
The receptionist tells her she thinks it should be OK for them to attend, though a statement from James River Church says, "Any registered sex offender who desires to attend must first contact the church. Each request is carefully reviewed, and approvals are not automatic or unconditional. These approvals may be revoked at any time."
The receptionist responds that yes, the children's ministry teaches forgiveness, but does not address the sexual abuse.
"We do not pressure or encourage victims to engage with those who have harmed them in any way. The safety, healing, and well-being of victims is our first and unwavering priority. Any claims to the contrary are false," James River Church said in its statement.
Monroe asks if she needs to let someone know that they plan on attending on Sunday or if they should just "keep it between" her and the receptionist, and the receptionist transfers Monroe to the pastor on call, but gets voicemail. According to the statement from James River, registered sex offenders must first contact the church before attending services.
In 2018, James River pastor Jack Smart spoke on behalf of William M. Walker at a sentencing hearing, according to previous News-Leader reporting. Walker was a Branson man convicted of downloading 174,000 images and 4,800 videos of child sexual abuse imagery, and he said that he had gotten treatment through James River Church.
Jack Smart, who identified himself as a longtime friend of Walker, said Walker had changed since his arrest and "now exudes qualities of the Boy Scout Law," the article reported.
James River Church's full statement - Here
Two clergy members charged in Philadelphia child sexual abuse case; DA urges survivors to come forward
District Attorney Larry Krasner’s Office held a press conference to announce that Bryan Jackson, 42, senior pastor of The Garden of Prayer World’s Prayer Center, and Isaiah Banks, 30, senior pastor of Second Pilgrim Baptist Church in North Philadelphia, have been charged with sexually abusing and exploiting children. Each faces two counts of sexual abuse of children, sexual exploitation of children, criminal conspiracy, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor, and criminal use of a communication facility, along with related charges, the District Attorney’s Office said. Both men have been arrested, arraigned, and released on bail as they await a preliminary hearing.
The investigation began on April 8, after the Department of Human Services reported that a minor had been induced to send explicit sexual material online for money or food. The case surfaced when someone checked the child’s phone, alerted a therapist, a mandated reporter, who then contacted authorities. The victim was then interviewed by the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance, and the images sent from the victim to Banks were sexual in nature and included requests for sexually explicit videos.
“The predatory sexual abuse committed by both clergy members is an egregious abuse of their positions of trust in the community,” Krasner said, adding that the defendants “are not representative of the countless clergy members who serve with fidelity.”
Those words — positions of trust — sit at the heart of why these crimes are so hard to detect. At least one in four girls and one in twenty boys in the United States experience child sexual abuse in their lifetimes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and about 90% of that abuse is committed by someone the child or the family already knows and trusts.
That is no accident. Predators often gravitate toward churches, schools, and youth sports for the very reasons parents value them: built-in authority, steady access to children, and a community primed to vouch for the helpful volunteer who never says no. The role itself becomes the tool. When suspicion finally stirs, doubt feels like betrayal, and victims fear no one will believe them.
Advocates have a plain message: a trusted title is not a shield. “You are not alone,” said LaQuisha Anthony, acting executive director of the Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence (WOAR), which runs a 24/7 crisis hotline.
The charges were brought by the office’s Family Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, a team that prosecutes child exploitation, trafficking, and abuse. Supervisor Katrina Wadas said the unit is working closely with victim advocates to support those affected.
Families can search Megan’s Law website to become aware of convicted child sex offenders and also search the FBI’s National Sex Offender Registry, which compiles records from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and numerous tribal nations.
Prevention, experts say, begins at the kitchen table. Let children know they can tell you anything without getting in trouble. Set clear rules about private and public spaces. Favor group activities over one-on-one time with adults, and vet caregivers, coaches, and babysitters with care. Learn the signs of abuse and grooming. And trust the instinct that says no when an adult asks to take your child away alone.
The Philadelphia Police Department has a page for unsolved sexual assault cases. Anyone who has any information or believes they have been victimized can contact the DA’s Victim/Witness Services Unit at 215-686-5709, WOAR’s hotline at 215-985-3333, or the Police Department’s Special Victims Unit at 215-685-3251.
Georgia church that hosted Trump accused of not reporting child molester
Note: This story contains details of child sexual abuse.
A Georgia prosecutor slammed two charismatic pastors associated with President Donald Trump for failing to report an employee who sexually molested a 15-year-old boy two years ago.
“Parents should be able to trust that church leaders will protect children,” Cherokee County Assistant District Attorney Leyna Pope said in a press release Friday. “Silence and inaction only deepen the harm. Protecting children must always come first.”
The mother of a teenager who attends Worship With Wonders Church went to pastors Myles and DeLana Rutherford in September 2023 with accusations, prosectors say. She told them her 15-year-old son had exchanged more than 12,500 text messages — some obscene — with Marcus Kendall Turner, a leader in the church.
When the Rutherfords didn’t react quickly enough, the mother called 911.
Turner, now former director of operations at the church in Powder Springs, was arrested a month later. He pleaded guilty Feb. 9 to aggravated child molestation, sexual exploitation of children and enticing a child for indecent purposes. The 34-year-old was sentenced to 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole. After he’s released, he will be required to register as a sex offender.
But according to the Cherokee County district attorney’s office, other church leaders bear some blame as well.
In the Feb. 20 press release, District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway’s office said Worship With Wonders leadership was “informed of the allegations but did not immediately call law enforcement.”
Church leaders disputed this in an online statement released the following day. On Feb. 21, they say police were contacted, but did not specify which department or when.
Clergy in Georgia are required by law to report the suspected sexual abuse of children. Failure to report carries a sentence of up to one year in prison.
Pastors call accusations ‘disinformation’
The Rutherfords founded Worship With Wonders, which meets in a renovated shopping center in Cobb County, in 2007. In recent years, they’ve connected with the Trump administration’s senior faith advisor, Paula White-Cain. The Rutherfords joined White-Cain and others at the White House in December, praying with the president in the Oval Office. DeLanna Rutherford led worship.
They deny they mishandled allegations against Tucker, posting a statement on Instagram on Saturday in response to “any misinformation being circulated.”
The pastors called police, the statement said, and reported Turner after meeting with “all the parties involved” as well as other pastors and “local authorities” who could offer advice.
But the Cobb County police department says no one from the church filed a report. It is possible to call and not file a report, according to the police records department, but the only report on record is the one filed by the victim’s mother.
Worship With Wonders did not return an email or a phone call from The Roys Report (TRR) seeking an explanation.
The online statement, signed by both Rutherfords, sought to assure church members no additional children were in danger.
“We have never tolerated (and will never tolerate, cover, or condone) any sexual immoral action between an adult and a minor who attends our church,” the Rutherfords wrote. “We understand that the abuse in this situation did not happen on church grounds. … We are not aware of Marcus Turner having inappropriate involvement with any other minors.”
A review of video recordings of church services in September and October 2023, from the time police started investigating Turner to the weeks after he was arrested, does not show leaders asking potential victims to come forward. Church leaders do not appear to have spoken about the crime directly in a church service.
In the Feb. 21 service after Turner pleaded guilty, Myles Rutherford talked generally about spiritual victories and bringing glory to God before introducing a guest preacher.
“How many of y’all know God will use your enemies to promote his glory?” Rutherford said. “He’s not waiting on perfect people. He’s not waiting on a perfect church. He’s waiting for imperfect people that he can show forth his glory in.”
Hosted Trump campaign event
The church hosted one of Trump’s biggest faith-focused events during the 2024 campaign. One month before the election, Trump sat on stage with White-Cain, answering personal questions casually for about an hour. He talked about his childhood church, why he keeps swearing although evangelist Franklin Graham asked him not to and how he believes God spared his life when an gunman’s bullet missed him on July 13, 2024.
“I would like to think, and I don’t know this at all, but I would like to think that it’s because … God wants our country to be helped,” Trump said. “I hope we win the election and we have to get all the Christians to get out there and vote.”
It is unclear how Trump’s team chose the church to host the event. If campaign staff vetted the venue, the arrest of a church leader who allegedly sexually assaulted a teenage boy was not a secret. It was widely reported in local media the year before.
Turner started working at the church in 2016, according to his LinkedIn profile. He held various jobs and preached at least once, though he focused on leading staff and directing day-to-day operations. One former church employee told Atlanta News First that Turner was one of the “highest-ranking” people at Worship With Wonders, and the Rutherfords called him a “son.”
In May 2023, according to prosecutors, Turner was running a church youth group called the “Hangout Life Crew.” He recruited the 15-year-old and started to gain his trust.
That summer, Turner and the child exchanged more than 12,500 texts. In some of them, the church leader convinced the boy to photograph his penis, according to the court records. In others, he convinced the teen to film himself masturbating and then send him the video.
Condemnation of same-sex relationships
Over the summer, the church ran a widely publicized sermon series taking aim at homosexuality. The series was launched in June 2023 to coincide with Pride Month. Billboards around the city promoted the series, with images of rainbows and the words “Proud to be Delivered.”
Some local residents accused the church of a bait-and-switch. The church was not, in fact, affirming LGBTQ+ identities. Instead, Worship With Wonders invited gay people to visit and hear that their lifestyles were sinful, but the power of the Holy Spirit could liberate them from sexual desire.
“It’s no longer sin, it’s a complex, it’s a disorder, it’s an obsession,” Myles Rutherford preached at one of the services. “So, we don’t feel bad about our sins, we change the name of them and then we turn and victimize the convictional preacher. … We condemn the preacher as hate speech.”
In August, Turner brought the 15-year-old child to his home in Acworth in Cherokee County and kissed him, court records show. Later that month, he performed oral sex on the boy. Then he raped him.
Georgia law described the crime as “an act of sodomy.” According to the indictment handed down by the grand jury, it was “an immoral and indecent act … placing said accused’s penis inside the anus of said child.”
Turner pleaded guilty
The case was set to go to trial in 2026, but Turner, facing a possible maximum charge of 180 years in prison, changed his plea to guilty. He was sentenced to the mandatory minimum of 25 years.
“This sentence delivers justice and ensures accountability,” the district attorney said in her statement. “It honors a mother who stood firmly and refused to be silenced and her son who showed tremendous courage in coming forward.”
The 15-year-old boy and his mother both spoke at a sentencing hearing, according to local media reports. The Rutherfords did not.
The pastors have preached frequently about the importance of being bold for the truth and speaking out on important issues.
“We need a voice!” Myles Rutherford wrote in his 2023 book “Raise Your Voice.” “We must rip a hole in Hell. … We must get to the place where we are insulted by what insults God.”
The book does not make an exception for child molestation.
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