A now-former pastor in Michigan is accused of planting a hidden camera in a church bathroom for at least two years, according to authorities.
Will Johnson, 37, had been a worship pastor/director at the 2|42 Community Church in Brighton, which is roughly 20 miles north of Ann Arbor. However, Johnson was terminated after a church staff member allegedly found a hidden camera in a “non-public, unisex bathroom in the [church’s] backstage area,” executive pastor of ministry operations Eric Rauch told the Detroit News.
‘We so deeply want our community to know about the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and your world gets flipped upside down.’
Craig Ryan — chairman of 2|42 Community Church’s leadership advisory team — informed ChurchLeaders, “Will Johnson, our former worship pastor/director, confessed to church leadership that he placed the camera in that location, and he was immediately terminated.”
Church leaders notified local authorities, and officials with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office on Friday night arrested Johnson at his home in Howell.
Johnson reportedly admitted to sheriff’s detectives that he had hidden a camera in a church bathroom intermittently for the last two years and targeted specific church employees who were known to use it.
On Sunday, Johnson was charged with tampering with evidence, using a computer to commit a crime, and surveilling an unclothed person — a felony.
If convicted, he faces a maximum of four years in prison for the tampering with evidence charge, up to two years for the charge of surveilling an unclothed person, and as many as two years for the charge of using a computer to commit a crime.
Johnson was being held at the Livingston County Jail where his bond is set at $250,000.
Electronic devices were seized from his home and will undergo forensic analysis, the sheriff’s office said.
Church leaders said in a statement posted to Facebook, “We are shocked and deeply saddened by this crime and violation of our community. The protection, safety, and privacy of every person who enters our church is our priority. We are fully cooperating with the sheriff’s office as this is an ongoing investigation.”
Rauch said, “It’s devastating. We care so deeply about our community. We so deeply want our community to know about the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and your world gets flipped upside down.”
The 2|42 Community Church shared a video on YouTube detailing the disturbing allegations.
Ryan said in the video while fighting back tears, “At this time, the sheriff’s office doesn’t have any indication that cameras were placed elsewhere in the facility. Church leadership thoroughly searched all of our facilities yesterday, again today, and tomorrow. Out of an abundance of caution, we will engage the services of a third-party professional service to help us continue to do those sweeps.”
Ryan noted that church officials at present don’t know “the full scope of this crime.”
“Our commitment to you is to be fully transparent and care for all the victims of this crime,” Ryan added.
Sheriff Mike Murphy stated, “All known victims have been identified and notified at this time.”
Johnson reportedly worked with the church for five years; he’s scheduled to appear in court next Tuesday.
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