David Wayne Farren was the lead pastor of Anchor Church in Texarkana when he was arrested for crimes he committed as youth pastor at Heritage Baptist Church, also in Texarkana. Two women came forward to report they were raped by him when they attended his youth ministry classes.
In 2013, a girl confided in Farren that she had been sexually abused, rather than do his mandatory reporter obligation, he decided to groom and abuse her. She babysat for Farren and was molested while babysitting. Farren touched her and groomed her until her 17th birthday when he had sex with her. He sexually abused her at his home even when his wife was home, having sex in the garage. She came forward in 2016 because she believed he was grooming another child.
When she reported to police that he began to be interested in her after another girl left for college, the police interviewed that girl and learned he had groomed and sexually abused her, too, starting after her father died when she was fifteen.
He was convicted and sentenced in 2017 to fifteen years for each of nine felonies, but the sentences run concurrently.
- TXK: Pastor sentenced to 15 years for sexual abuse of teen girls
- Texarkana Gazette: Local pastor pleads guilty to sexual abuse of teen girls
Mountain Home, Arkansas · Thursday, October 05, 2017