PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC — A South Carolina circuit court judge has dismissed all criminal charges against former leaders of Pawleys Island Community Church and a registered sex offender whose presence on the church campus sparked a multi-year legal saga.
Circuit Judge John Anthony Love granted motions to quash the indictments against former pastor Don Williams, his wife Ginny Williams, former Christian academy director Niki Howard, and former director of operations Michael Anthony Fields. All criminal charges against registered sex offender Warren Perry were also dropped.
The decision brings an end to state criminal proceedings that charged the former church officials with child endangerment, criminal conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. Investigations into the matter concluded without finding evidence of physical harm, abuse, or inappropriate contact involving children on the property. Testimony during court proceedings noted that dozens of witness interviews and forensic evaluations produced no disclosures or findings of physical misconduct.
While addressing the court, Judge Love characterized the decisions by church leadership to permit a convicted sex offender on campus as a demonstration of poor judgment, but determined the conduct did not cross the legal threshold required to sustain criminal charges.
The court highlighted oversight failures by state probation officials, noting that monitoring agencies failed to properly track and enforce restrictions regarding Perry’s activities.
Although criminal prosecutions have concluded, civil litigation related to the matter remains pending in state court. Parents and former school families have filed multiple lawsuits targeting church leadership, institutional entities, and state agencies. Pawleys Island Christian Academy permanently ceased operations in August 2026.
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