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by JENN WOOD
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Church leaders entrusted with protecting children at a private Christian academy in coastal South Carolina are facing criminal charges after investigators say they knowingly allowed a registered sex offender to work near students — and then misled authorities about his access to them.
Donald James “Don” Williams, longtime pastor of Pawleys Island Community Church; his wife, Ginny Lee Williams; and Pawleys Island Christian Academy director Jennifer Nicole “Niki” Howard were charged this week as part of an expanding investigation led by the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO).
Warren Spencer Perry, a registered sex offender who provided maintenance and custodial services at the church and academy, was also charged.
Georgetown County sheriff Carter Weaver announced the charges Monday (July 20, 2026), accusing the church officials of conspiring with Perry and displaying a “reckless disregard” for the safety of children.
According to Weaver, church leaders knew Perry was a convicted sex offender and knew children attended both a school and daycare on the same campus — yet continued allowing him to work there without informing parents.
The investigation is far from over.
Detectives are working to determine the full extent of Perry’s contact with children, examine digital devices and records seized from the church and assess whether additional church officials or elders participated in criminal activity.
“I vowed to you last week to investigate this case and hold accountable anyone who fails the norms set by society through violations of the law,” Weaver said. “And that is what we’re doing.”
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CONCERNED CITIZEN SOUNDS THE ALARM
Pawleys Island Community Church and Pawleys Island Christian Academy operate from the same campus at 10304 Ocean Highway in the unincorporated Pawleys Island area of Georgetown County, S.C.
The investigation began after a citizen recognized Perry from South Carolina’s sex offender registry and reported seeing him in close proximity to children at the academy.
According to Weaver, his office received the initial tip on Saturday, July 11, 2026. Deputies subsequently contacted church leaders and the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services (SCDPPPS).
When questioned the following day, church officials allegedly told investigators Perry volunteered at the church seven days a week but claimed safeguards prevented him from being around children.
Weaver said investigators soon determined those claims were false.
Photographs, sworn witness statements and other evidence allegedly showed Perry inside or near classrooms and in other areas where children were present.
The sheriff called the images “sickening,” particularly when contrasted with statements from church leaders minimizing Perry’s proximity to students.
Search warrants were executed at the church and academy as investigators seized records and electronic devices for forensic analysis.
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PERRY’S PRIOR CONVICTION
According to Weaver, Perry was arrested by the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office in 2020 on two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor (.pdf).
He was convicted on one count on Nov. 29, 2023. The remaining count was dismissed as part of the disposition of the case.
Perry received a ten-year sentence suspended to five years of probation. A court order prohibited him from having contact with minors.
Despite that restriction, investigators believe Perry began performing maintenance and custodial work at the church and academy shortly after his 2020 arrest — several years before his eventual conviction.
After the sheriff’s office contacted state probation officials, officers interviewed Perry and determined his presence around children violated the conditions of his probation. He was initially taken into custody on that violation before being charged in the broader church investigation.
Weaver also played a recording from a probation interview with Williams during Monday’s press conference.
In the recording, a probation officer explained that Perry was prohibited from entering classrooms or occupying the same room as children. Williams maintained that Perry would leave if children entered a classroom and denied he worked inside classrooms while students were present.
Investigators say the evidence tells a different story.
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CHURCH LEADERS CHARGED
Williams, Ginny Williams and Howard resigned from their positions before the charges were announced.
In a statement issued Friday (July 17, 2026), Weaver said the resignations meant “nothing” to the ongoing criminal investigation.
“My agency continues to gather evidence and conduct interviews at this time,” Weaver said.
According to the sheriff’s office, Williams has been charged with obstruction of justice, criminal conspiracy and unlawfully placing a child at risk of harm.
Howard faces the same three charges.
Ginny Williams has been charged with obstruction of justice and criminal conspiracy, while Perry has been charged with obstruction of justice and criminal conspiracy.
The charges are accusations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Fifteenth Circuit solicitor Jimmy Richardson joined Weaver for Monday’s announcement, stressing that arrest warrants require only probable cause and do not constitute findings of guilt.
Once the investigation is completed and the cases reach his office, Richardson said prosecutors would work to “shepherd these cases toward an ultimate conclusion” through negotiated pleas or trials.
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PRIOR PROBLEMS AT THE ACADEMY
Public records (.pdf) from the S.C. Department of Social Services (SCDSS) show Pawleys Island Christian Academy had previously been cited for multiple regulatory deficiencies — including problems involving supervision, staffing ratios and employee background checks.
During a February 2024 inspection, regulators identified four deficiencies involving direct supervision, staffing ratios, staff health requirements and background checks.
A follow-up inspection the following month again identified a background-check deficiency.
In March 2026, the academy was cited for staffing-ratio violations and for failing to complete required background checks before employment. Records indicate those deficiencies were subsequently resolved.
Following a complaint inspection on July 15, 2026 — days after the allegations involving Perry surfaced — regulators identified four additional deficiencies. Three were classified as high-severity issues and involved staff requirements, direct supervision and fire safety. A fourth involved staff health requirements.
State records indicate the direct-supervision issue was corrected on site, while other corrective measures remained pending at the time of the inspection.
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INVESTIGATION EXPANDS
Authorities have not announced that Perry is accused of sexually abusing a child while working at the church or academy.
Investigators are nevertheless trying to identify every child who may have had personal contact with him. Any interviews with those children will be conducted by trained child-advocacy professionals, Weaver said.
Detectives are also reviewing sworn statements from parents, teachers, church members and officials associated with the academy. Digital devices seized during the execution of search warrants will be subjected to forensic examination.
The investigation additionally includes a review of payroll and financial records to determine how workers and volunteers were compensated — and whether those arrangements played a role in the alleged effort to conceal Perry’s work.
The conduct of other elders and church leaders is also under review.
Weaver said his office is separately examining a report from a woman who came forward during a church service and alleged her child had been molested. Authorities have not publicly identified a suspect in that allegation or said whether it is directly connected to Perry.
The sheriff credited the citizen who recognized Perry for demonstrating how the sex offender registry is intended to work.
“We maintained that registry,” Weaver said. “A citizen saw Warren Perry on that registry. They put him in close proximity to the children. They reported it to the sheriff’s office. We immediately reported it to Triple P.”
SCDPPPS is expected to review whether its officers followed agency procedures while monitoring Perry. According to information released thus far, probation officials knew Perry volunteered at the church but were not informed he was working at a school or around children.
Weaver warned that anyone who knowingly helped circumvent safeguards intended to protect children could face charges.
The investigation remains active, and additional arrests are possible.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.
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