BENTON, Ark. — A former longtime music minister at a prominent Arkansas Baptist church has pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual indecency with a child.
David Pierce, 56, was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison. An additional 10-year sentence was suspended in a plea agreement accepted Aug. 27 by Saline County Circuit Judge Grisham Philips in Benton, Ark.
Pierce was music minister for 29 years at First Baptist Church, Benton, until his arrest April 24. In that capacity, he directed the church’s youth choir, where police say he groomed young boys to show him their genitals for his sexual gratification. The interaction took place at the church and in other places where he could get the boys alone. However, according to court documents, none of the alleged activity took place on choir tours.
Pierce was originally charged with 54 counts of the charge, but the plea bargain reduced the number of counts to individuals involved with the prosecution. Pierce confessed in a court affidavit to those acts and similar involvement with “a number of other former members of the choir, dating back for 10 or more years, who are no longer juveniles.”
Prosecuting Attorney Ken Casady told the Benton Courier that he accepted the plea bargain to spare the boys victimized by Pierce the trauma of testifying against him. Casady said all the victims who came forward were consulted and agreed with the decision. (TAB)
Share with others: