The scandal engulfing Pawleys Island Community Church just took another dramatic turn.
Former church leader and pastor's wife Ginny Williams was rearrested on Friday after investigators filed an additional criminal charge, while the embattled South Carolina church has now been hit with a fourth civil lawsuit as the fallout continues to snowball.
Williams, who had already been charged with obstruction of justice and criminal conspiracy earlier this week, now faces an additional charge of unlawfully placing a child at risk or causing a child harm. Investigators say the new allegation came after multiple witness statements provided fresh evidence in the widening case.
According to the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office, detectives concluded that Williams held a supervisory role not only within Pawleys Island Community Church (PICC) but also over operations at the church's affiliated Pawleys Island Christian Academy (PICA). Authorities allege that, because of that position, her actions-or failure to act-created a substantial risk that a child could become the victim of a sexual offence.
A judge set Williams' bond at $25,000, and she was later released.
The latest arrest piles even more pressure onto a church already facing one of the biggest scandals in its history.
The investigation began after authorities learned that convicted sex offender Warren Perry had allegedly been permitted to serve as a church custodian on a campus shared with the church's Christian school. Investigators allege church leadership knew of Perry's status, triggering both a criminal investigation and a wave of lawsuits.
Former senior pastor Don Williams, Ginny Williams, former school director Niki Howard, and Perry have all been charged in connection with the investigation.
Don Williams and Howard each face charges including obstruction of justice, criminal conspiracy and unlawfully placing a child at risk. Perry, meanwhile, remains behind bars after being denied bond.
But the courtroom drama doesn't end with the criminal charges.
The church is now staring down four separate civil lawsuits, with new plaintiffs continuing to come forward.
Among them is a class action lawsuit seeking more than $25 million in damages. Another lawsuit alleges Perry sexually abused a student attending the church's academy in 2022. A separate complaint claims a preschool-aged child suffered emotional trauma after unknowingly being exposed to a registered sex offender on campus.
Now, a fourth lawsuit has been filed by parents identified as John and Jane Roe, who allege their child was exposed to foreseeable danger while attending the school. The family claims the incident caused lasting emotional distress and psychological harm and is seeking both actual and punitive damages.
The controversy has already claimed the church's leadership.
On July 17, Don Williams, Ginny Williams, Niki Howard and several church elders all resigned as public outrage intensified. Yet with new criminal charges emerging and additional lawsuits continuing to surface, the legal storm surrounding Pawleys Island Community Church appears to be far from over.
