A Tennessee pastor who spent years touring the nation for his ministry will spend the remainder of his life behind bars after a jury convicted him of raping a toddler, whereas his spouse was discovered responsible of facilitating the abuse, authorities mentioned.
Benjamin Garlick, 35, was discovered responsible Monday of seven counts of aggravated rape of a kid, six counts of aggravated sexual battery, one rely of solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor and two violations of Tennessee’s Baby Safety Act after a two-week trial in Rutherford County.
Circuit Courtroom Choose Barry Tidwell sentenced Garlick to life in jail with out the potential for parole on the aggravated rape convictions, in line with the Murfreesboro Police Division. He nonetheless faces sentencing on the remaining convictions on Nov. 10.
Garlick’s spouse, 32-year-old Shaantal Garlick, was convicted of two counts of facilitation of aggravated rape of a kid and two counts of aggravated baby neglect.
She is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 10.
The case started in August 2023, when the Murfreesboro Police Division’s Particular Victims Unit launched an investigation into the sexual abuse of a kid who was simply 5 years outdated on the time.
Police mentioned the abuse had occurred over a number of years.
As detectives dug deeper, they recognized two further victims, in line with police.
Investigators additionally decided that Shaantal Garlick knowingly uncared for a sufferer in a manner that affected the kid’s well being and welfare and assisted within the sexual abuse, police mentioned.
“The Murfreesboro Police Division thanks all members of the Baby Protecting Investigative Workforce (CPIT) for his or her tireless work all through this investigation and trial, making certain the victims’ voices had been heard and justice was served,” Det. James Wilkinson, lead investigator, mentioned after the convictions.
“The kids of Rutherford County are safer due to the compassion, dedication, and dedication every member of the CPIT Workforce brings to their roles daily.”
Garlick’s life outdoors the courtroom stood in stark distinction to the crimes for which he was convicted. Murfreesboro police mentioned their investigation confirmed he had spent a number of years touring as a minister, primarily centered on the Hispanic group, and that he and his spouse had traveled throughout the nation.
WSMV beforehand reported that Garlick helped run La Espada, a Murfreesboro-based ministry for Spanish audio system.
The station reported that movies and pictures posted on-line confirmed Garlick and his sermons related with church buildings in Florida, Indiana, Minnesota and Texas.
The couple additionally described deep household ties to the ministry in biographies that appeared on La Espada’s former web site and stay out there by the Web Archive.
The positioning mentioned La Espada was based by Garlick’s grandfather, Rolando Garlick, and confirmed Benjamin working with the ministry beneath the route of his late father, Daniel Garlick, by a minimum of 2015.
Benjamin Garlick wrote that he started touring together with his father as a toddler, felt drawn to the ministry at a younger age and later grew to become an evangelist.
Shaantal Garlick wrote that she met Benjamin at a youth convention when she was 18 and described her calling as serving God full time alongside her husband and dealing with La Espada to succeed in the Hispanic group with the Gospel.
Benjamin and Shaantal Garlick had been arrested in September 2023.
The case continued to develop, and a Rutherford County grand jury reindicted the couple in March 2024, in line with Murfreesboro police.
As investigators pursued the case, Particular Victims Unit detectives publicly urged potential victims to return ahead, notably folks within the Hispanic group, police mentioned.
Shaantal Garlick, who had been free on bond, was taken into custody following Monday’s verdict, police mentioned. Each she and her husband are being held on the Rutherford County Grownup Detention Middle.
