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by JENN WOOD
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A new lawsuit arising from the Pawleys Island Community Church scandal is expanding the circle of alleged responsibility beyond the church, its private Christian academy and former leadership.
The complaint (.pdf) — the fifth filed in Georgetown County since allegations involving registered sex offender Warren Spence Perry became public — names the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services (SCDPPPS) as a defendant.
The filing marks the first lawsuit in a building wave of civil litigation to accuse the state agency responsible for supervising Perry of failing to adequately investigate his activities, enforce the conditions of his probation or prevent him from gaining access to children.
Filed on Tuesday (July 28, 2026) by two parents on behalf of their minor child, the 28-page complaint alleges SCDPPPS knew — or should have known — Perry’s work at a church campus housing a school and childcare facility presented a “substantial and foreseeable risk of serious harm.”
The agency’s alleged failure to intervene, the lawsuit claims, was part of a broader breakdown that allowed Perry to maintain “repeated, direct, daily and unrestricted access” to children at Pawleys Island Christian Academy.
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STATE SUPERVISION UNDER SCRUTINY
Perry was convicted in November 2023 of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor stemming from a 2020 arrest by the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO).
He received a ten (10)-year sentence suspended to five (5) years of probation – and was required to register as a sex offender.
According to the new lawsuit, Perry was subject to probation conditions prohibiting contact with minors and restricting him from working within 1,000 feet of them.
Despite those conditions, Perry allegedly continued performing maintenance, custodial and volunteer work at Pawleys Island Community Church and its academy.
The lawsuit claims SCDPPPS retained the legal authority and responsibility to supervise Perry after his sentencing but failed to determine the true nature of his work or the location where it was performed.
Among other things, the parents accuse the agency of failing to:
- Verify whether Perry was working or volunteering at a location regularly occupied by children;
- Determine whether his activities complied with his probation conditions;
- Use available supervision tools to confirm what Perry was doing at the church and academy;
- Take timely enforcement action after receiving actual or constructive notice of possible violations; and
- Properly document, communicate or respond to information concerning his access to minors.
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The complaint points to a subsequent SCDPPPS affidavit (.pdf) alleging Perry had been untruthful with probation agents when he reported having no contact with minors and denied entering restricted areas.
According to the parents, those alleged misrepresentations were precisely the type of conduct that enhanced supervision of a convicted sex offender was intended to detect.
The complaint characterizes the agency’s conduct as a “conscious failure to exercise even slight care” and asserts a gross-negligence claim under the South Carolina Tort Claims Act.
The parents are not seeking punitive damages from SCDPPPS, which are unavailable under the act. Any compensatory recovery against the agency would also be subject to statutory limitations and damage caps.
The lawsuit attempts to distinguish its claim from protected governmental decision-making by specifying that it does not challenge Perry’s sentence, release or the scheduling of any probation hearing.
Instead, it focuses on what the complaint describes as “ongoing, non-adjudicative, operational supervision and enforcement” after Perry was placed on probation.
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RELATED | Faith, Trust And Betrayal at a Pawleys Island Church
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CHILD’S EXPOSURE ALLEGED
The parents — identified under the pseudonyms John Doe and Jane Doe — allege their young child attended Pawleys Island Christian Academy while Perry occupied a position providing him repeated access to students.
The complaint does not identify the child’s age, the dates of enrollment or a specific incident of sexual abuse.
Instead, it alleges the parents may never know the full extent of what their child “saw, experienced, or may have been subjected to” while Perry was present.
The child has suffered emotional, developmental and psychological harm, according to the complaint, as well as the disruption and stress associated with determining the extent of any injury.
His parents allege they have experienced emotional distress, fear, financial losses and the “permanent burden” of not knowing what occurred while their child was entrusted to the academy.
The lawsuit claims neither the church nor the academy informed the parents that Perry was a registered sex offender or that the academy had previously been cited for deficiencies involving background checks and child safety.
The parents say they relied on representations that the academy provided a safe environment and that its volunteers were properly screened and trained when they enrolled their child and paid tuition.
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CHURCH LEADERS ALSO NAMED
In addition to SCDPPPS, the lawsuit names Pawleys Island Community Church, Pawleys Island Christian Academy, Perry and three former church and school officials:
- Former senior pastor Donald James “Don” Williams;
- His wife, Virginia Lee “Ginny” Williams; and
- Former academy director Jennifer “Niki” Howard.
The complaint also names ten unidentified members of the church’s elder board, who are sued individually and in their representative capacities.
It alleges the elder board held ultimate authority over the independent, self-governing church and failed to provide meaningful oversight of Perry’s continued presence.
Williams is separately accused of providing a character reference or other support to SCDPPPS on Perry’s behalf without disclosing the full extent of his access to children.
The lawsuit further alleges church and academy leaders knew of Perry’s conviction and sex-offender status, dismissed warnings raised by a teacher and either silenced or forced out the individual who raised those concerns.
Those allegations mirror claims raised in some of the four earlier lawsuits.
The new complaint asserts ten causes of action, including negligence, negligent hiring and supervision, negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract, unfair trade practices, reckless infliction of emotional distress, institutional negligence, civil conspiracy and the separate Tort Claims Act claim against SCDPPPS.
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FOUR EARLIER LAWSUITS
The civil litigation began July 17, 2026, when two parents filed a proposed class action against the church and academy.
That complaint (.pdf) seeks to represent parents and children who attended the academy, church activities or other events where Perry was present during the preceding six years. It accuses the two institutions of negligent hiring and breaching duties owed to families who entrusted children to their care.
Four days later, three additional lawsuits were filed in Georgetown County.
One contains the most serious and specific allegation made in the civil cases to date.
In that complaint (.pdf), a mother alleges her five-year-old son reported in 2022 that a white-haired man at the academy taught him a sexually explicit “game.” The lawsuit identifies that man as Perry and alleges he sexually assaulted the child on school property.
The mother claims she immediately reported what her son told her to Howard, who allegedly questioned whether the child was making it up. The child was removed from the academy, the matter was reported to law enforcement and he began receiving counseling, according to the complaint.
That lawsuit alleges church and academy officials later concealed the report while continuing to permit Perry access to children.
Authorities have not publicly charged Perry with sexually abusing a child at the church or academy. The allegation in the civil complaint has not been adjudicated.
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Another lawsuit was filed on behalf of a child identified as R.K., who was described as younger than five and unable to fully communicate what he saw or experienced.
That complaint (.pdf) names the church, academy, Perry, Williams, Ginny Williams, Howard and unidentified elders. It alleges Perry was not merely an occasional visitor but was a familiar presence who entered classrooms, interacted with children and participated in school activities.
A fourth lawsuit (.pdf), filed on behalf of a child identified as J.D., similarly alleges Perry had direct contact with students through maintenance, custodial and volunteer work. It asserts claims for negligence, negligent supervision, premises liability and negligent retention and control.
Unlike the proposed class action, the four remaining lawsuits seek damages for individual children and their families.
Together, the complaints present overlapping allegations that church and academy officials knew Perry’s criminal history, failed to warn parents and continued placing him in an environment where he could develop familiarity and trust with children.
The July 28 filing goes a step further — alleging the government agency assigned to monitor Perry also failed to discover or stop what was happening.
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CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
The lawsuits follow criminal charges announced against Perry, Williams, Ginny Williams and Howard as part of an expanding GCSO investigation.
Sheriff Carter Weaver previously said church officials acknowledged knowing that Perry was a convicted sex offender – but maintained safeguards kept him separated from children.
Investigators say photographs, witness statements and other evidence contradicted those claims and showed Perry inside or near classrooms and in other areas occupied by students.
Donald Williams, Howard and Ginny Williams have each been charged with obstruction of justice, criminal conspiracy and unlawfully placing a child at risk of harm. Ginny Williams’ child-endangerment charge was added following further investigation and corroborating witness statements, according to GCSO.
Perry has been charged with obstruction of justice and criminal conspiracy.
Each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Investigators are continuing to review electronic devices, church records, financial documents and statements from parents, teachers and church members. The conduct of additional elders and church officials also remains under review.
SCDPPPS is expected to separately examine whether its officers followed agency procedures while supervising Perry.
According to information released by authorities, probation officials knew Perry volunteered at the church but were allegedly not told the same campus operated a school and childcare facility.
The new lawsuit now asks a civil court to determine whether the agency should have learned that information on its own — and whether its alleged failure to do so helped expose children to a danger it was legally responsible for monitoring.
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THE COMPLAINT
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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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