Community calls for North Texas pastor, registered sex offender son to be held accountable
Pastor's registered sex offender son arrested
Members of a Tarrant County church community started a petition to force out their pastor after learning his son, a registered sex offender, was working at the church and private school.
HASLET, Texas - The fallout continues at a North Texas church and private school where the pastor’s son was reportedly working despite being a registered sex offender.
Some former church members are speaking out, arguing the accountability should go further than the pastor temporarily stepping down.
Accountability for Pastor & Son
What's new:
On Thursday, Fort Worth police arrested 33-year-old Caleb Crawford, the son of Pastor Eric Crawford at Heritage Baptist Church in Haslet.
The pastor’s son was picked up on an outstanding warrant for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements.
North Texas pastor steps down after sex offender son arrested
Following the arrest of registered sex offender Caleb Crawford for registration violations, his father, Pastor Eric Crawford, has temporarily stepped down from leadership at Heritage Baptist Church and Heritage Christian Academy pending an internal review.
The church and its school, Heritage Christian Academy, recently terminated his contract as a maintenance worker after parents discovered his status as a lifetime registered sex offender. He was also one of the music leaders at the church.
Also on Thursday, the church announced that Pastor Crawford would be temporarily stepping down from his duties pending an internal church financial review.
During the review, he will not participate in preaching, teaching, administrative oversight, or any leadership functions within the church, school, or related ministries.
What they're saying:
Former church member Katie Thompson, who initiated a petition drive urging the removal of Pastor Crawford, said she believes further accountability and transparency are warranted.
"I believe Pastor Crawford is equally as guilty as his son for allowing access to the children when he knows that it was illegal. I also believe that standing behind faith in God as a shield instead of protecting children is not what our churches should be doing for our community," she said. "I’m very thankful Caleb was arrested yesterday. However, I do believe there should be some accountability for those that also knew and provided the access for him. And I do think Pastor Crawford should resign immediately."
Fort Worth police declined to comment, pointing out that the investigation is ongoing.
Safety Concerns
The backstory:
Records show Caleb Crawford was indicted in 2016 for indecency with a child in a case involving a 12-year-old girl. He was required to register as a sex offender for life with a moderate risk level, meaning he has a moderate risk of re-offending.
Caleb Crawford had been working at Heritage Baptist Church and its private school as an independent contractor, according to church leadership.
A statement posted earlier this week on the school’s Facebook page stated he had no "responsibility" or "authority" over students, and his employment was terminated, effective immediately.
North Texas parents alert police after discovering sex offender worked at private school
Parents at a Haslet private school are withdrawing their children and demanding leadership changes after discovering the pastor’s son, a registered sex offender, was employed on campus.
Although there have been no reports of sexual misconduct at Heritage Christian Academy or any known incidents involving Caleb Crawford at the school, several parents told FOX 4 they were concerned about the students' safety.
They alerted the police and said they planned to withdraw their children from the school.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Fort Worth Police Department, the Heritage Christian Academy Facebook page, interviews with a former church member and school parents, and past news coverage.