A traveling pastor and his wife, who previously used their nationwide ministry as a cover, have been convicted in a deeply disturbing child sexual abuse case in Tennessee.
After a two-week trial in Rutherford County, a jury completely dismantled the holy facade built by thirty-five-year-old Benjamin Garlick. He will now spend the rest of his life behind bars after being found guilty of multiple counts of aggravated child rape. The shocking trial also exposed the active participation of his thirty-two-year-old wife, Shaantal Garlick, who was officially convicted of facilitating the horrific abuse.
The convictions bring some closure to a horrifying case that originally began in August 2023, when local authorities first discovered a five-year-old victim.
Life Behind Bars Without Parole
The severity of the crimes committed by the couple is heavily reflected in the massive sentences handed down by the presiding judge.
Following the recent guilty verdicts, Circuit Court Judge Barry Tidwell immediately sentenced Benjamin Garlick to life in prison without any possibility of parole.
He was officially found guilty on 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 separate violations of the Tennessee Child Protection Act. He will face additional sentencing on the remaining convictions on November 10.
His wife, Shaantal Garlick, was also held entirely accountable by the jury. She was convicted on two counts of facilitation of aggravated rape of a child and two counts of aggravated child neglect. Detectives determined she knowingly neglected the young victim in a way that directly affected the child’s health while actively assisting in the sexual abuse.
She was immediately taken into custody following the verdict and is currently scheduled to be sentenced alongside her husband in November.
A Ministry Used as a Shield
The horrifying crimes uncovered by the Murfreesboro Police Department stood in absolute stark contrast to the public life the couple actively promoted online.
The Garlicks spent years traveling extensively across the country under the guise of an evangelical ministry. According to the police investigation, Benjamin primarily focused his religious efforts on the Hispanic community. He was closely connected to La Espada, a Murfreesboro-based ministry originally founded by his grandfather.
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Through this organization, he frequently connected with various churches across Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, and Texas.
The couple often used the internet to promote their religious journey, describing their deep family ties to the church in online biographies. Benjamin previously wrote that he felt drawn to the ministry at a very young age while traveling with his late father.
Shaantal publicly claimed she met her husband at a youth conference when she was just eighteen, describing her ultimate calling as serving God full time by reaching the Hispanic community.
In 2023, they even launched an online fundraiser seeking forty thousand dollars for a new van, claiming their family was rapidly growing.
The Expanding Police Investigation
The massive legal downfall of the couple originally began when the Murfreesboro Police Department’s Special Victims Unit launched a deep investigation.
In August 2023, authorities began looking into the sexual abuse of a child who was only five years old at the time. Detectives quickly discovered that the horrific abuse had actually occurred over several years. As the dedicated investigators dug deeper into the family’s background, they successfully identified two additional victims connected to the traveling pastor.
The couple was officially arrested in September 2023 and later reindicted by a grand jury with additional charges in March 2024.
Following the convictions, Detective James Wilkinson, the lead investigator on the massive case, publicly thanked the Child Protective Investigative Team. He praised their tireless work throughout the lengthy investigation, stating that their incredible dedication ensured the victims’ voices were finally heard and justice was appropriately served.
Both Benjamin and Shaantal Garlick are currently being held at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center as they await their final sentencing hearings later this fall.
Question for you. How can communities better protect vulnerable children from predators who use positions of trust, like religious leadership, to hide their crimes?
