A situation that every parent dreads has now become a criminal case in Georgetown County, South Carolina. Warren Perry, a registered sex offender prohibited from contact with minors as part of his probation, was employed as a custodian at Pawleys Island Christian Academy, a facility serving infants as young as six weeks through kindergarten-age children. The discovery came on July 13 when an alert parent recognized Perry’s name, checked the sex offender registry on their own, and immediately reported their concerns to authorities.
What followed reveals a deeper problem. Four people are now facing charges, including former senior pastor Don Williams and academy director Niki Howard. The accusations go beyond negligence: authorities are charging them with knowingly allowing a sex offender to have contact with children and actively concealing this information from staff members. Evidence presented by the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office included photographs allegedly showing Perry at school water day events surrounded by children, directly contradicting statements Don Williams made to investigators.
Church leadership has acknowledged they knew about Perry’s conviction. According to reports, they made what Don Williams called “a judgment call” about how widely to share that information. The case carries significant weight, with criminal charges that include obstruction of justice, unlawful placing of a child at risk, and conspiracy. A $25 million lawsuit was filed the same day Williams resigned from his position. For parents throughout the Lowcountry and beyond, this case raises an urgent question: What systems are actually in place to protect our children, and what can we do to ensure they’re being enforced? What specific safeguards should you be asking about when you enroll your child in any program?
