LUBBOCK (TX)
Baptist News Global [Jacksonville FL]
July 5, 2024
By David Bumgardner
Luke Cunningham, a former youth pastor at four Texas churches who was arrested June 19 by United States marshals, now faces a probe by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for alleged international and interstate sex trafficking.
The investigation concerns allegations he sexually abused students on out-of-state and international mission trips while he served on staff at a Lubbock megachurch.
BNG reported and independently verified FBI involvement on June 27 but withheld this specific information to protect the identity of potential victims and preserve the investigation’s integrity.
In a bond hearing July 1, Lubbock County prosecutors revealed details of Cunningham’s alleged abusive behavior. Several local media organizations reported this information, including Lubbock NBC affiliate KCBD.
Prosecutors argued Cunningham is a violent offender who slapped and choked his victims into unconsciousness.
Prosecutors argued Cunningham is a violent offender who slapped and choked his victims into unconsciousness. They also claimed he is a manipulator and serial groomer who ensured his victims went on mission trips and camps, including out-of-state and international programs that were held in New Mexico and Guatemala.
Arrest warrants obtained by BNG via a Public Information Act request to the Lubbock County District Attorney’s office indicate Cunningham is accused of violently raping one victim (which constitutes two charges: sexual assault of a child and aggravated sexual assault) and sexually assaulting another with his hands.
Because one victim allegedly was assaulted in an international context, Cunningham’s alleged criminal act meets the federal statutory definition of sex trafficking.
Section 2423(c) of Title 18, United States Code, prohibits traveling from the United States to a foreign country and sexually assaulting a child, paying a child for sex, or soliciting a child for sex.
The Justice Department notes on its website that this law falls under “extraterritorial jurisdiction,” which grants the government the authority to prosecute crimes even if they did not occur within the United States.
If a person travels out of the country “with the intent to engage in illegal sexual conduct” with a child, they then fall under Section 2423(d) of the same statute. They may be automatically eligible for prosecution for “sex trafficking of children or by force, fraud, or coercion.”
At the least, Cunningham is likely to face at least one federal felony count of “engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places.” If investigators can prove that Cunningham took his students overseas in part or in whole to make it easier to abuse them, he also could be prosecuted on counts of “travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct” and “sex trafficking of children by force, fraud, or coercion.”
If charged and convicted of the first two offenses, Cunningham faces the prospect of a maximum of 60 years in prison. If convicted of sex trafficking, Cunningham faces the prospect of 15 years to life imprisonment.
At the hearing, Cunningham’s attorney, Michael King, requested the court lower the bond from $500,000 to $100,000. King cited a previous investigation by the Lubbock district attorney that did not result in criminal charges. King argued Cunningham is not a present threat to the community.
“Cunningham’s attorney reiterated that Cunningham … had been easy to locate for years, since his information was posted to Lakeside’s website.”
According to KCBD: “King, Cunningham’s attorney, reiterated that Cunningham was cooperative during his arrest and had been easy to locate for years, since his information was posted to Lakeside’s website.”
Cunningham previously served Lakeside Baptist Church in Granbury, Texas; Turning Point Community Church in Lubbock; North Forth Worth Baptist Church in Fort Worth; and Agape Baptist Church (now defunct), Fort Worth.
The saga began in late May when Lakeside Baptist Church of Granbury learned of allegations of sexual misconduct Cunningham reportedly had with minors in another church. The church also received complaints and reports from members about disconcerting conduct. The church placed Cunningham on leave, launched an investigation, reported its findings to law enforcement, and then turned Cunningham over to its Personnel Committee, which dismissed him.
Cunningham currently faces criminal charges in Lubbock County. However, BNG has independently verified reports of allegations of misconduct from all four churches via multiple sources, including government officials, who spoke on background. Prosecutors also acknowledged the existence of a victim in Dallas County who alleges she began to be groomed by Cunningham in 2013.
There were warning signs before Cunningham’s arrest, as BNG previously reported the existence of reports to law enforcement, a state agency, and the previous existence of a probe by the Lubbock County district attorney in 2021-2022 that did not result in criminal charges. Prosecutors acknowledged the reality of prior law enforcement reports and a DA probe at the July 1 bond hearing.
Lakeside Baptist Church’s press release indicated they believed Cunningham is a serial offender and church-hopper. They stated, “If the Southern Baptist Convention had a working database for offenders, we would likely have never been exposed to Mr. Cunningham. We plan to do everything possible to encourage national leaders to exercise their spiritual responsibility, identify perpetrators in the churches and stop this from happening again.”
Sources from Lakeside Baptist who spoke with BNG on background expressed dismay at newly unveiled details from Cunningham’s past, including the fact that Cunningham previously had been reported.
However, Turning Point Community Church leaders have maintained they were ignorant of Cunningham’s alleged crimes and never received reports of allegations while he was on staff.
Turning Point also alleges that, at the time it was made aware of the existence of the DA investigation, it did not know Cunningham had returned to local church ministry.
Lubbock NBC-affiliate KCBD noted Lakeside Baptist Church Senior Pastor Mark Forrest said Cunningham passed the church’s criminal background check and an executive pastor from Turning Point in Lubbock had provided the church with a positive reference.
Turning Point disputes this account. In a statement sent to BNG and local Lubbock media organizations July 2, Turning Point Director of Communications Abby Reed asserted: “We want to reiterate that at no time was our church contacted by Lakeside Baptist Church for a reference regarding Luke Cunningham. During yesterday’s bond hearing, it was reported that LBC spoke with an executive pastor from Turning Point who gave Cunningham a favorable reference. However, we can confirm there was no direct contact made with Turning Point. While it is possible that Lakeside Baptist Church reached out to a former executive pastor directly, this would have been without our knowledge or permission.”
When asked for comment on Turning Point’s assertion that it never provided a reference, Lakeside Baptist Church Senior Pastor Mark Forrest told BNG: “I’d just say our heart is for the victims. We are not going to go tit for tat with them. We did speak to their previous executive pastor. They are just trying to shift blame.”
Turning Point Community Church in Lubbock declined to comment on this story.