Traveling preacher charged with child sex abuse had ties to Middle TN, was recently evicted

WSMV 4 ^ | September 21, 2023 | Michael Warrick

[Morgana]

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WSMV) - A traveling preacher accused of multiple child rape and sexual abuse charges in Murfreesboro had recently been served an eviction notice.

32-year-old Benjamin Garlick is charged with five counts of aggravated rape of a child, five counts of aggravated sexual battery, sexual exploitation of a child and continuous sexual abuse of a child, Murfreesboro Police said. The crimes are alleged to have happened in February 2021, police said.

Garlick helped run La Espada, a Murfreesboro-based ministry for Spanish speakers. A sign posted at the business showed Garlick had been given an eviction notice on August 29, for not paying rent to Sword of the Lord Publishers.

Sword of the Lord Publishers sent WSMV4 this statement:

“ALL children are a gift from God, and to harm one of them in any fashion is a gross sin and punishable by law. We are shocked and saddened by the news of the abuse of a child anytime, anywhere. Children, all children, are precious and deserve the full protection of all of us. As a proponent for the safety of children (pre-born and born), we recommend to all pastors, ministry leaders, and everybody else, “If you see something, say something.” Report any suspicious criminal activities against children to your local authorities. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. If you are unsure of your local helpline, call 1.800.4.A.CHILD for guidance.”

Garlick’s wife, 29-year-old Shaantal Garlick, is also facing charges, according to police. She is charged with the facilitation of aggravated rape of a child and aggravated child abuse, neglect and endangerment. Shaantal has been released after posting a $75,000 bond.

[Morgana]

Not only was he arrested but his wife as well. He was a circuit riding preacher with ties also to Florida, Indiana, Minnesota and Texas.

Anyone here heard of him?

[fieldmarshaldj]

They showed him and the wife on the local news.

[mikey_hates_everything]

“Garlick helped run La Espada, a Murfreesboro-based ministry for Spanish speakers.”

Easy access to illegal alien kids who didn’t exist in any system and from the wife’s looks, she is probably a trafficker as well as an enabler for him.

[Morgana]

“Easy access to illegal alien kids who didn’t exist in any system and from the wife’s looks, she is probably a trafficker as well as an enabler for him. “

I never thought about that but you are probably correct. I saw one of his videos where he was preaching in Spanish and he does know the language.

[deport]