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GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (BFMG) — Two more Georgetown County parents have filed a civil lawsuit. .pdf accusing a Pawleys Island church and its Christian academy of knowingly allowing a registered sex offender to work around children for years, in violation of South Carolina childcare law and probation restrictions.
The complaint, filed July 21 in the Georgetown County Court of Common Pleas, lists John Roe and Jane Roe as plaintiffs, identified by pseudonyms to protect their privacy and that of their minor child, J.D. The lawsuit names Warren Spence Perry, Pawleys Island Community Church, Pawleys Island Christian Academy, former academy director Jennifer “Niki” Howard, former senior pastor Donald James Williams and church employee Virginia Lee “Ginny” Williams as defendants.
Allegations against church, academy and leaders
According to the filing, Pawleys Island Christian Academy is described as a registered church-based childcare and school serving preschool and elementary-aged children under South Carolina Child Care Registration No. 18530. The plaintiffs allege the church and academy accepted responsibility for the care, custody and protection of children on campus, including J.D.
The lawsuit contends Perry, a convicted sex offender, was allowed to perform recurring custodial, maintenance and caregiver-type tasks on the church and school grounds, bringing him into classrooms, childcare rooms and outdoor play areas where he interacted directly with children. The complaint asserts that by assigning Perry regular duties and allowing him to develop familiarity with families and staff, church and academy leaders “clothed him with the apparent authority of a trusted representative” despite knowing his criminal history.
The plaintiffs accuse Pawleys Island Community Church, the academy and individual leaders of negligence, gross negligence, reckless conduct and intentional misconduct in selecting, authorizing, retaining and supervising Perry. They allege the defendants failed to conduct required background checks, failed to follow statutory screening rules for childcare workers and failed to warn teachers and parents that a registered sex offender was regularly present on campus.
Perry’s conviction and probation conditions
Court documents say Perry was arrested and later convicted of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor for conduct that occurred around 2020, becoming a registered sex offender under South Carolina law. The complaint alleges he was placed on probation under the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services with conditions limiting his contact with children.
Despite that status, the parents assert, Perry became a regular presence at Pawleys Island Community Church and its academy beginning around 2020, volunteering and performing maintenance work while children were present. The complaint says students and staff knew him as “Mr. Warren,” and that he was frequently observed working in areas used by preschool and elementary-aged children.
The lawsuit further alleges church leaders had direct, personal knowledge of Perry’s sex-offender registration and probation status. According to the filing, Williams, then the senior pastor, acknowledged in a public meeting after Perry’s later arrest that he and other leaders were aware of Perry’s history and chose to limit that information to a small group, leaving classroom teachers and many parents in the dark.
South Carolina childcare law cited in complaint
The complaint cites multiple South Carolina statutes that bar licensed or registered childcare facilities from employing or allowing as caregivers anyone who is required to register, or is registered, on the state or national sex offender registries. It references provisions requiring fingerprint-based criminal history checks, sex-offender registry checks and child-abuse registry searches for people working in childcare settings, with periodic rechecks every five years.
Plaintiffs argue these laws reflect the state’s recognition that registered sex offenders pose an unacceptable risk to children and say the church and academy violated the “protective purposes” of those statutes by allowing Perry to function as an employee, staff member, custodian or volunteer in proximity to minors. They claim these statutory violations amount to negligence and negligence per se under South Carolina law.
The filing also asserts claims for negligent supervision and premises liability, arguing the defendants created an “unreasonably dangerous circumstance” by knowingly granting a registered sex offender access, authority and familiarity with children on the school campus, then failing to implement adequate safeguards or warn families.
Teacher reports and probation investigation
According to the complaint, the situation came to a head in July 2026 when former academy teacher Allie Osborne discovered Perry’s listing on the South Carolina Sex Offender Registry. Osborne and another teacher identified as Erika allegedly reported their concerns to Howard and Williams and were told church leadership already knew about Perry’s status.
The filing says Erika then reported Perry’s ongoing access to children to law enforcement or probation authorities, triggering an investigation into his volunteer activities on the church and school grounds. Investigators ultimately arrested Perry on allegations he violated his probation by working in proximity to children.
In the aftermath, Williams reportedly held a meeting with church members where he acknowledged leaders knew of Perry’s history, believed — incorrectly, according to the complaint — that he was complying with probation conditions, and had decided not to inform classroom teachers or many parents. Williams later resigned as senior pastor, and local news outlets have reported that Williams, Howard, Ginny Williams and Perry were arrested on related charges following the investigation.
Claims of emotional harm and request for damages
The parents say their child suffered “serious injuries and damages” that are still being evaluated and that the family has experienced severe emotional distress and mental anguish from learning that a registered sex offender had access to J.D. The complaint alleges the child will likely require medical and forensic evaluations, and that the parents have independent claims under South Carolina law tied to their child’s injuries.
The lawsuit seeks actual and punitive damages, with the amount to be determined by a jury, along with costs of the action and other relief the court deems appropriate. It demands a jury trial on all issues, and lists multiple causes of action, including negligence, negligent supervision, negligent selection and retention, premises liability and intentional misconduct.
Wider scrutiny of Pawleys Island Community Church
The case joins a growing number of civil actions and public scrutiny surrounding Pawleys Island Community Church and its academy. Earlier this month, a separate class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of other families alleging the church and school allowed Perry, a convicted sex offender, to volunteer near children without adequate screening or disclosure to parents. Local and regional outlets have reported on both lawsuits and the criminal investigation, noting community outrage and calls for accountability.
Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver has said the criminal investigation remains active and has urged anyone with information to contact his office. The civil suit filed by John Roe and Jane Roe is one of the first to lay out, in detail, how the family says church and school leaders knowingly allowed a registered sex offender to remain embedded in a Christian childcare setting — and the harm they allege followed.
