Embattled South Carolina Pastor Accused Of Sexual Abuse, Coverups In New Lawsuit

by CALLIE LYONS and JENN WOOD

A woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by scandal-scarred South Carolina pastor John-Paul Miller when she was only fifteen years old has filed a civil suit in Horry County this week. The suit lists both Miller – founder of Solid Rock Ministries – and his father, reverend Reginald Wayne Miller, among its defendants.

The alleged victim – Jane Doe 1 – is represented by Randall Hood, an attorney who is also taking on MorningStar Ministries in a series of lawsuits on behalf of victimized minors. 

In addition to the Millers, the lawsuit named Solid Rock Ministries, Cathedral Baptist Church and All Nations Cathedral Church as defendants. According to the pleading (.pdf), the Millers fostered an environment of unchecked abuse under the guise of religious leadership. Attached to the lawsuit were affidavits from Susan Miller (.pdf) – the ex-wife of Reginald Wayne Miller – and Alison Williams (.pdf), the ex-wife of John-Paul Miller. 

Jane Doe claimed another incident involving John-Paul Miller in 2023 triggered repressed memories of the earlier assault, which she said took place in July 1998 when Miller was 19 years old – less than six months after he was charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature for running a woman over with his truck. 

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The complaint – which demanded a jury trial – accused church leaders of enabling and covering up decades of abuse while failing to protect vulnerable minors.

According to the complaint, the Millers built their reputations as religious figures while preying on minors behind closed doors. It claimed their churches and schools were not solely created for religious purposes, but were instead used as tools to facilitate and conceal sexual abuse.

The plaintiff described a calculated system of grooming, wherein young members of the church — particularly minors — were lured into trusting relationships with church leaders. The lawsuit alleged that John-Paul Miller used his position of authority and community standing to manipulate, abuse and silence victims. 

Additionally, the complaint alleged a broader pattern of cover-ups within the church, claiming both Millers used their positions to silence victims, manipulate church members and evade accountability. Specifically, church leaders were accused of suppressing reports of misconduct rather than reporting them to law enforcement, allowing the Millers to operate unchecked despite prior allegations and retaliating against victims by pressuring them into silence by means of religious manipulation. 

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RELATED | MICA MILLER SAGA: EXPLOSIVE ALLEGATIONS LEVELED AGAINST SOLID ROCK PASTOR

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Mirroring claims leveled in Allison Williams’ previous lawsuit against John-Paul Miller, the lawsuit stated church leaders knew about Miller’s inappropriate behavior with minors and ordered him to seek treatment for sexual misconduct. He never complied – yet remained in a leadership role with unrestricted access to minors. The complaint further alleges that Reginald Wayne Miller was accused of sexual misconduct dating back to the 1980s, prompting his move from Florence, S.C., to Myrtle Beach to escape scrutiny.

Despite this well-documented history of abuse allegations, church leadership allegedly “allowed (Reginald Wayne Miller) to maintain absolute control over church operations” while at the same time “turning a blind eye” to his alleged abuse.

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SUSPICIOUS DEATH RAISES FURTHER QUESTIONS

The suspicious death of Mica Francis Miller is also mentioned in the lawsuit, drawing further attention to John-Paul Miller’s history of alleged manipulation and coercive control. According to the filing, “Mica Miller’s relationship with (John-Paul Miller) was deeply troubled”, and her suspicious death led to increased scrutiny of her husband’s character and past actions. 

While the lawsuit did not directly accuse John-Paul Miller of wrongdoing related to his late wife’s death, it suggested her passing was “part of a broader pattern of abuse and control” emanating from his alleged actions.

Exclusively reported by FITSNews, Mica’s tragic death has captured the attention of a global audience. The aspiring missionary and worship leader was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head at 4:23 p.m. EST on April 27, 2024 at North Carolina’s Lumber River State Park – a sprawling 14,000-acre wilderness located roughly an hour’s drive northwest of Myrtle Beach. Her body was found at this secluded location a short time after she called 911 asking the operator to pinpoint her phone – stating she was “going to kill herself” and wanted her family to be able to find her body.

Mica had traveled to this park from Myrtle Beach earlier that day, and her body was ultimately found in a swampy area approximately 40 meters from where police recovered spent shell casings and her belongings. She died less than 48 hours after serving divorce papers to John-Paul Miller.

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On April 28, 2024 – less than twelve hours after being notified of Mica’s death – John-Paul Miller delivered a sermon at Solid Rock. His message closed with a bizarre announcement of her passing, at which point Miller told congregants to leave the church quietly and not to discuss Mica’s death as they departed.

Mica’s death was officially ruled a suicide by North Carolina investigators and medical examiners, but the bizarre manner in which her husband revealed it – and subsequent allegations of harassment and abuse leveled against him in multiple court filings and previous 911 calls – have raised doubts.

In addition to the ‘Justice for Mica’ movement – which aims to amend South Carolina’s domestic violence laws – the saga has sparked an ongoing probe into related allegations against John-Paul Miller led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

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LEGAL ARGUMENTS & CALLS FOR JUSTICE

According to the lawsuit, the “plaintiff is seeking damages for the emotional, psychological, and physical trauma” she endured, arguing that the “church was legally obligated to protect minors from foreseeable harm.”

The case could set a major legal precedent regarding institutional responsibility in cases of church abuse, particularly within religious communities that operate with minimal external oversight.

In addition, it cited an alleged civil conspiracy in which the church entities tied to the Millers along with Reginald Wayne Miller and John-Paul Miller “knowingly engaged in a concerted effort to conceal, suppress, and enable the continued sexual misconduct of Defendant John-Paul Miller thereby conspiring to protect him from accountability while placing minors in foreseeable danger.”

The “predicate acts” cited by the filing include:

• Collective and deliberate efforts to prevent others from discovering Miller’s inappropriate actions with minors at both Cathedral and Solid Rock churches.
• Failure to report Miller’s sexual misconduct and inappropriate conduct to law enforcement, despite a clear duty to do so.
• Failure to report Miller’s actions to appropriate church authorities or external oversight bodies, thereby ensuring that complaints remained within a controlled, internal circle.
• Coordination to protect Miller from scrutiny, including by silencing victims, shielding him from investigations, and continuing to allow him access to minor children despite known risks.
• Failure to take corrective action after learning of Miller’s conduct, thereby allowing other minors to be abused without intervention.
• Refusal to take disciplinary measures against Miller or remove him from leadership, despite overwhelming evidence of his predatory behavior.

The lawsuit also stated the Millers and their religious entities engaged in unfair and deceptive trade practices in violation of the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act (SCUTPA) by “falsely advertising their facilities as safe and nurturing environments for minor children when, in fact, they have a documented history of failing to protect minors from harm” and “engaging in fraudulent and deceptive conduct by creating a false impression that they have effective policies, procedures, and safeguards in place to protect minor children when such measures were either wholly inadequate or negligently enforced.”

A claim which would entitle the plaintiffs in this action to treble damages.

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THE COMPLAINT…

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