Timothy Peargin, an organist and member of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Lakeland Florida, was arrested in 2014 on charges of failing to report child sex abuse. The charges stem from an investigation into his partner and roommate, Kevin Crump, who had sex with two teenage boys under age 16. Crump also attempted to share child pornography with a friend, Tavis Bell.
The church conducted a background check on Peargin, which came up clean. Subsequent investigation revealed that he had a 1991 arrest in California for lewd acts with a child under age 14.
At the time, Crump served a nurse with the Florida Department of Health.
The church immediately terminated Peargin’s contract and barred both men from campus, although it did offer pastoral support.
St. David’s closed its doors in 2018 amidst acrimony related to the departure of a rector, poor decisionmaking, and squandering of resources. At the time of its closing, the church had an average Sunday attendance of 150 — a far cry from the days when its mid-century modern nave was packed with members.
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