A traveling pastor who raised money to preach across states will spend life in prison for raping children, and his wife now awaits sentencing after related convictions.
Story Snapshot
- A Rutherford County jury convicted Benjamin Garlick on multiple child-sex felonies; he received life without parole.
- The jury also convicted his wife, Shaantal Garlick, on solicitation and neglect counts; sentencing is set for November 10, 2026.
- Police and court reporting tie the crimes to multiple victims and a timeline starting in February 2021.
- The case shows how abusers can exploit positions of trust in religious settings, with rare cases reaching full conviction.
What The Jury Decided
On August 17, 2026, a Rutherford County jury found pastor Benjamin Garlick guilty of seven counts of aggravated rape of a child, six counts of aggravated sexual battery, one count of solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor, and two counts of violating the Child Protection Act. Judge Barry Tidwell imposed life without parole on the aggravated rape convictions. The court ordered Garlick held at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center while he awaits sentencing on remaining counts.
Jurors also convicted Shaantal Garlick, Benjamin’s wife, on two counts of solicitation of aggravated child rape and two counts of aggravated child neglect. Reports note some charge-label differences across outlets, but each describes convictions for soliciting aggravated child rape and for aggravated neglect. The court set her sentencing for November 10, 2026. These are felony convictions entered after a full trial in Rutherford County Circuit Court.
How The Case Took Shape
A Murfreesboro Police Department document shows prosecutors reindicted the couple in April 2024 after an earlier sealed indictment. The filing lists seven counts of aggravated rape of a child, six counts of aggravated sexual battery, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and two counts of Child Protection Act violations for Benjamin. It lists facilitation of aggravated rape of a child and aggravated child neglect for Shaantal. The document anchors the charges in court records and police work.
Reporting states the investigation began with a 5-year-old victim and later identified two more child victims. The alleged offenses span February 13, 2021 through August 14, 2023, covering locations tied to the couple’s time in Tennessee. The timeline and victim count point to sustained abuse, not a single event. The verdicts now confirm key parts of that picture under the criminal standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
Ministry, Mobility, And Betrayed Trust
Coverage emphasizes that Benjamin Garlick preached at churches across Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, and Arkansas, and that the couple sought donations to support their travel. That outreach helped them access communities that extended trust due to their religious status. Research on abuse cases in religious contexts shows how trust can be weaponized, and how few cases end in conviction compared with allegation volume, which makes this full adjudication notable.
Tennessee minister Benjamin Garlick was sentenced to life without parole after convictions in a child-sex-abuse case. His wife was also convicted.https://t.co/pbuarI0LnW pic.twitter.com/f2cIjH65Tj
— raw culture media (@rawculturenews) August 20, 2026
This case also taps shared public concerns about institutions failing at basic guardrails. Churches and nonprofits often rely on informal vetting, volunteer help, and thin budgets. Parents assume safe screening and oversight. Communities across the political spectrum want child safety first, clear reporting paths, and fast action when warning signs appear. The record in this case now includes convictions and a life-without-parole sentence, but its long timeline shows how prevention gaps can persist.
What Comes Next
Benjamin Garlick remains jailed pending any additional sentencing steps. His life-without-parole term stands on the aggravated rape counts. Shaantal Garlick faces a November 10 sentencing hearing on solicitation and neglect convictions. The available reporting does not describe appeals or post-trial motions. Families and churches in the affected communities will look for healing and for stronger child-safety protocols that match the risks that traveling ministries and guest preachers can pose.
Sources:
foxnews.com, dnj.com, murfreesborotn.gov, wgnsradio.com, christianpost.com
