Travelling Tennessee Pastor Gets Life Without Parole for Raping a Child as Wife Is Also Convicted

A travelling Tennessee pastor has been handed life without parole after a jury convicted him of raping a child, while his wife was also convicted for facilitating the abuse. Benjamin Garlick, 35, was found guilty on Monday of seven counts of aggravated rape of a child alongside multiple other charges, bringing an end to a ministry that once spanned the country.

The news came after Murfreesboro police launched an investigation in August 2023 into the sexual abuse of a five-year-old, which officers said had occurred over several years. As detectives dug deeper, they identified two additional victims and determined that Shaantal Garlick, 32, had knowingly neglected a victim in a way that affected the child's health and welfare while assisting in the sexual abuse.

Ministry Travels Masked Abuse for Years

Circuit Court Judge Barry Tidwell sentenced Garlick to life in prison without the possibility of parole on the aggravated rape convictions, according to the Murfreesboro Police Department. He still faces sentencing on the remaining convictions on 10 November.

Shaantal Garlick was convicted of two counts of facilitation of aggravated rape of a child and two counts of aggravated child neglect. She is scheduled to be sentenced on the same day as her husband, 10 November, and was taken into custody following Monday's verdict after having been free on bond.

'The Murfreesboro Police Department thanks all members of the Child Protective Investigative Team (CPIT) for their tireless work throughout this investigation and trial, ensuring the victims' voices were heard and justice was served,' Det. James Wilkinson, lead investigator, said after the convictions.

Garlick's life outside the courtroom stood in stark contrast to the crimes for which he was convicted. Murfreesboro police said their investigation showed he had spent several years travelling as a minister, primarily focused on the Hispanic community, and that he and his wife had travelled across the country.

Local media previously reported that Garlick helped run La Espada, a Murfreesboro-based ministry for Spanish speakers. The station reported that videos and images posted online showed Garlick and his sermons connected with churches in Florida, Indiana, Minnesota and Texas.

The couple also described deep family ties to the ministry in biographies that appeared on La Espada's former website and remain available through the Internet Archive. The site said La Espada was founded by Garlick's grandfather, Rolando Garlick, and showed Benjamin working with the ministry under the direction of his late father, Daniel Garlick, by at least 2015.

Benjamin Garlick wrote that he began travelling with his father as a child, felt drawn to the ministry at a young age and later became an evangelist. Shaantal Garlick wrote that she met Benjamin at a youth conference when she was 18 and described her calling as serving God full time alongside her husband and working with La Espada to reach the Hispanic community with the Gospel.

Victims Identified as Couple Awaits Sentencing

Benjamin and Shaantal Garlick were arrested in September 2023. The case continued to grow, and a Rutherford County grand jury reindicted the couple in March 2024, according to Murfreesboro police.

As investigators pursued the case, Special Victims Unit detectives publicly urged potential victims to come forward, particularly people in the Hispanic community, police said. That outreach appears to have been part of what allowed the investigation to expand beyond the initial victim.

It's worth noting that Tennessee enacted a new law on 1 July allowing the death penalty for certain individuals convicted of aggravated rape of a child, though Garlick was sentenced to life without parole rather than facing capital punishment. The legislation provides severe penalties for qualifying offenses, including capital punishment, life imprisonment without parole, or life imprisonment.

Benjamin Garlick remains at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center awaiting his next sentencing hearing. Shaantal Garlick, who was out on bond, was taken into custody following the verdict and is now housed at the county jail.

'The children of Rutherford County are safer because of the compassion, dedication, and commitment each member of the CPIT Team brings to their roles every day,' Wilkinson added.

Nothing is confirmed yet regarding whether additional charges may be brought as the investigation continues, so everything should be taken with a grain of salt.