SCOTT HARPER FROM GABNEWSONLINE.com "What's Happening In Georgetown?" 7/24/26

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:12

All right, it is time to bring them on. It is Scott Harper of Gap News Online. Good morning, sir.

SPEAKER_01 0:19

Good morning, Ms. Liz. How are you today? Happy birthday.

SPEAKER_02 0:22

Thank you. I appreciate that. All right.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Well, you're you you're you're coming to my neck of the woods tonight, so I may come see you tonight. You're gonna be right down the road.

SPEAKER_02 0:31

Oh, look at that.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

I live live not far from Conway Ford.

SPEAKER_02 0:35

Okay. Excellent. All right, so we hope to see you there tonight, five to seven. We're collecting toy. I'm not toys. Sorry. Take that back. We're collecting speakers and backpacks, and we're giving away an HTC iPad because they're presenting this Talk Lama Lodge event sponsored by Conway Ford. All right. So, Scott, lots coming out. You have some breaking news for us?

SPEAKER_01 0:57

Yeah, I got some breaking news. Ginny Williams arrested again this morning. Oh boy. That's the wife of the uh pastor Don Williams at Pauli's Island Community Church. Um, yeah, they've hit her with another charge. They arrested her this morning. She's gonna have a bond hearing at three o'clock this afternoon. Uh the new charge is unlawfully placing a child at risk or causing a child harm. Uh that's uh part of the ongoing investigation. Uh the sheriff's department. It says it's something they uncovered after she was released uh on bond. Uh something they uncovered as part of the investigation. Not sure. Uh, but in the uh press release, it says this charge uh is to be levied when a person is found to be in a supervisory role or be responsible for a child's welfare. I'm just a little confused why they didn't know that before when they um you know were investigating in the beginning, but they knew that she had uh, you know, a lot of control over the uh church school, Polys Island Christian Academy. And um anyway, that's why she was charged with this because it says um Jenny Williams has been found uh to not only hold a supervisory role at the Pollys Island Community Church, but also holds such a role over operations of the Pollys Island Christian Academy. Um it says she was arrested this morning, booked into the uh Georgetown County Detention Center. Bond's hearing at three o'clock this afternoon. We'll uh well I've streamed that one like we have all the other ones, and so we'll uh go for that one at three o'clock. But yeah, so uh now she's got three charges against her. And you know, it's a little bit confusing because, you know, um when the arrests were made earlier this week, uh Don Williams, her husband, had three charges. Nikki Howard, uh the director of the school, had three charges, and Jenny Williams had two charges. Um, so now this uh brings them all up to three each. I'm assuming her bond's gonna be set at $25,000 on this one. That's what happened with all the other yeah, I mean, that's what happened with uh, you know, the other charges. It was $25,000 for each charge. So probably that's what will happen today. She'll get $25,000 uh bond on this one, I would imagine. Um especially if it's the same judge. I'm sure he wouldn't change his pattern um for this charge, because that's uh, you know, that's what the uh bond was for Nikki Howard and for Don Williams for each of their charges. So we'll find out on three o'clock um, you know, what happens there. But yeah, this is a story that's gonna be going on, I think, for for a long, long time. I mean, um, you know, you've got now four lawsuits filed in the case. Um, one a class action lawsuit, um, you know, which is that's the $25 million lawsuit, and then the other ones, the other three are individual families uh suing. Um, and uh, we hear that more are coming. That's just uh just four for now, but we hear more lawsuits are coming down the pike. And, you know, at some point uh the court's gonna have to look at these because I mean, you can't clog up the court for a year or a year and a half with just this case, lawsuit after lawsuit. So at some point they're probably gonna have to figure out how to consolidate these um lawsuits and hear them all, you know, maybe at one you know, a couple at a time or all at one time or whatever. I mean, um, you know, because but uh, you know, this brings up an interesting point too. The uh church is undergoing a uh I think it's uh six million dollar uh uh building program they they're adding on to their campus.

unknown 4:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:29

What's gonna happen there? Does the construction continue? I mean uh you know, I doubt you hear them. I think that's what you what do you do? What do you do with the uh the building program that's going on there?

SPEAKER_02 4:41

I mean Has there been new leadership installed at this point?

SPEAKER_01 4:46

Not that I know of. Um, you know, I I think they did have do have an assistant pastor, so uh uh you know, I'm sure he'll take over the uh duties at least for now. Now somebody uh called me um Wednesday night um and said there was something going on in the parking lot uh and it's just it was as they were passing by there was a large group of people uh holding hands in a sockel praying. I'm assuming that was church members maybe having a uh Wednesday night church service and doing something outside. Um, but uh, you know, it wasn't something that was, you know, announced or you know to the public or anything. But um so yeah, I think you know the uh the membership is is hanging on, at least some of them, and uh we'll see what happens Sunday. You know, of course, this past Sunday they did not have a uh service i in the in the building. They had a uh online recorded recorded message for about 20 minutes. Um so this Sunday, if they do return, it'll be the first Sunday that you know they've been in service in the building um since this happened. So it's gonna be interesting to see, you know, what what happens there. And I'm sure a lot of announcements will be made Sunday if they do have the service, um, you know, about what's gonna happen as far as uh pastorship goes and things like that. But um, yeah, uh, I guess the uh the next thing is when uh when these uh things start going, they have mandatory court appearances in September. Um, you know, the the three that were uh the four that were arrested, and so we'll see what happens there. But um, yeah, I've I've never seen a case like this that did just uh uh well John Paul in Myrtle Beach, I guess, did um, you know, that pastor got the national attention that this is getting. But one thing that's always interesting when this happens, it happened with the uh John Paul case in Myrtle Beach, it's happening here. Uh Facebook uh and and uh all the other social media. Everybody becomes a detective or a reporter or everything. And I figure that's gonna last until we get a tropical storm, and then everybody will become a meteorologist. So um This is true, you know.

SPEAKER_02 6:49

And they're half-right, right? 50% accurate.

unknown 6:52

Right.

SPEAKER_01 6:52

Hey, uh yeah, I mean, I've never I've never seen so many detectives online before in my life.

SPEAKER_00 6:58

And I'm glad you brought that up because I have to I want to know how into the details are you as far as we keep hearing that the pastor's wife had conservatorship or some sort of control, uh uh maybe it's uh power of attorney over the okay, over the uh the suspect who you know who's the pervert. We can say that because he was on the stocks tourists. Okay, I'm hearing all kinds of rumors that he had a ton of money. Can you at least dispel that?

SPEAKER_01 7:24

Uh we he yeah, we we hear he's a millionaire. We haven't been able to, you know, uh confirm that, but we hear the he sold it. What did he do? He had some kind of company. Don't ask me the name of it, I forgot. But um, he had some sort of company he sold. And uh yeah, has a lot of money. April 27th was the date that um they signed the paperwork and uh Jenny Williams became power of attorney uh over him. Don't know why, because I mean, uh, you know, I don't think he's got any, you know, I don't think he's got dementia or anything like that. That, you know, all all things calls is, you know, a power of attorney to take place. I I don't know why he um you know agreed to do that. And of course, if if she can't do it, the way the paperwork is written, if she can't do it, then Donald Williams becomes the uh power of attorney. So they've got basically control over his uh his money. Yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_00 8:14

And that well, then that begs the question the whole let's dismiss all of the suspicion over this guy and the reports and everything else because we want to keep control of that money.

SPEAKER_01 8:25

Well, the old saying goes, always follow the money. And uh it looks like in this case, it looks like in this case that has a lot to do with it. Um, you know, uh I mean, but but why I I understand, you know, they them warning power of attorney. I get that, you know, the money, but why would he agree to it? I I don't that's I don't figure out why would he agree to say, hey, okay, yeah, you can have control over all of this? Why?

SPEAKER_00 8:53

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 8:55

You know, I mean, I don't know. This is you know, this is gonna be uh you know a movie one day, I guess, you know. Because it's just so convoluted and and and it's just in every day. It's something new. You know, it's you know before. You know, I mean we've heard the rumor and and I don't know, and you know, this um this guy that's online, the um whatever his name is Robbie somebody. Robbie Harvey. Um Robbie Harvey. Uh you know, I went to I was gonna I was gonna watch his thing and see what he said. But when I clicked on it, you have to pay like 99 cents per month or something to to watch it. And I'm like, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 9:31

Well, I I did I did not pay anything, but um what he is saying is that uh Well what about the septic tank?

SPEAKER_01 9:38

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 9:39

So he said that he did that the septic tank got pumped and the people the septic tank company people let them know that they found an abundance of condoms in the septic tank, and when they told the pastor, the pastor said, Well, kids will be kids, um something like that. That's that's not a thing. Yeah. And so then people were questioning whether or not how could there be a septic tank there if that doesn't even make sense. But then um he said, Well, uh you know, we don't know where the septic tank, which building it was connected to. They're assuming it was the school building because it was smaller, it wouldn't be for the church per se. But then others were saying, no, it's connected to the sewer lines, and then uh he said that he has confirmed there is a septic tank on the property, but they don't know to what it is connected to, and and what it even means that they would find all those uh condoms in there. I you know. But I know from living in a home that had septic tanks in you know in the past that the the septic tank pump operators often tell you uh if there is something of foreign matter in there. I remember when we moved into a home, we that was the first thing we did to make sure it was uh safe. And um you have to get them pumped regularly, and they found like a lot of drink stirrers for some reason in ours. And we, you know, they said, oh, maybe a kid put them down the toilet and whatever. Um and there were children living in the home before we moved in. So they always tell you what they find. Uh and so that is uh accurate that that could happen whether or not this person is telling the truth or not to this uh podcaster is uh you know, who knows. But the one thing that they did put up on the screen was he put a screenshot of what the actual 2022 uh complaint was. And the Children's Recovery Center said in an article in the Sun News that they did not find upon interviewing that child any evidentiary information or facts uh that regarding that that assault actually did happen. So it was investigated, but my question is they have this I think it's two separate things back in 2022. My question to the Sheriff's Office investigators is like okay, maybe there's no facts or evidence that this child was indeed sexually abused by this person. But was there any interaction at all between this registered sex offender and this child or any children at all? But what comes into play is Harry, this thing happened, this incident, supposed alleged incident, happened in 2022. He wasn't convicted or registered as a sex offender until 2023. And I think that's why the investigation kind of just self-resolved at that point.

SPEAKER_01 12:46

Yeah. And of course, once he once he pled guilty and got placed on the sex offender registry, as part of that, it was, you know, he was ordered to, you know, can't couldn't go in your school, couldn't go in your kids. But you gotta remember when he had a bond hearing in 2020 after his arrest, when you have a bond hearing, that those uh stipulations are also placed on you then. You know, you can't be in your kids, can't be in your school, um, even though you haven't been convicted or found or pled guilty at that time, they still, as part of your bond, so he's been uh ordered to stay away from kids since 2020. So um, you know, even though you know he wasn't on the sex offender registry until 2015.

SPEAKER_02 13:22

So then why didn't the sheriff's office address that in 2022 or investigate it? So that's why people are calling for their resignation, anybody involved in this, including the sheriff.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

Well, and so have you heard that people are calling for the sheriff?

SPEAKER_02 13:37

I haven't heard that, but people who say they are local were commenting on that, saying, What happened in 2022? We need a full explanation as to why that his well, based on even on what you're saying, especially, why wasn't that individual removed?

SPEAKER_01 13:56

I don't know. You know, it's interesting because the sheriff, uh, Carter Weaver, you know, he had inner connections with the school. Uh there was a program called the Domestic Program, which is uh for men who trying to get off drugs and get their life back together. Um, and the sheriff worked with um Don Williams the uh a little bit on that because the program is taking place at the uh detention center, which is under the sheriff's umbrella. Um so you know, he does have dealings with uh Don Williams on that program. The sheriff's grandchild goes to uh or at least did go to um Holy Island Christian Academy. Um, you know, so he had that connection as well. But, you know, so so some people are wanting to know, you know, when did he actually learn that uh that Warren Perry was, you know, on this campus? You know, did he just find out recently?

SPEAKER_00 14:44

Hey, even though he had connections with the church or were Scott, we have a we have a question on the budget lines text line. Have you reached out to uh the sheriff's department or the probation officer uh for comment?

SPEAKER_01 14:55

Well, now about this yes, the uh because well, one thing we were asking is uh the fact that the sheriff's grandchild went there, making the grandchild a potential victim in the case, you know, potentially. Um was it a uh conflict of interest for the sheriff's department to be investigating this? You know, they say no. The answer I got was the grandchild is not considered a potential victim, so no, we can we can investigate it. Um and uh we were also told the sheriff did attend church there occasionally, you know, but not often. He was not a member, just uh popped in, you know, you know, it's a Sunday here and there. Um so you know, they feel like they you know there's no conflict of interest interest to um of them investigating. We sent that same question to Sled, but uh never got an answer back from them, um, you know, about whether it was a conflict of interest. So um now as far as um I have not talked with anybody personally from probation. I mean I've seen some some some things they've had to say that other media's reported, but I haven't talked to them personally. Um but um you know, so so we'll see. I don't know, you know, but there's so many things out there you don't know what's true and what's false anymore. That's the problem.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

Well, that's why you going to the source and asking, and that's good to hear that you did. I'm sorry you didn't get a response.

SPEAKER_01 16:17

Well, from Slid we didn't get a response, but we did get a response from the sheriff's office. So um, you know, but there are people wanting to know, you know, when when the sheriff knew it, uh, you know, as far as you know, Don um my um Warren Perry working on the property, you know, how long ago he knew knew that. Um I believe him. I I mean, you know, even though his department arrested the guy and you know, all this stuff, you know, I mean, the sheriff's department arrests, you know, hundreds and hundreds of people. You know, the sheriff is not, you know, we're expected to know each one individually in each one of their cases.

SPEAKER_00 16:48

No, no, of course not. But but listen, as probation, parole, whoever, whoever that individual is that's in charge of his case, he should have gone out there and visually inspected where he's been. That is part of their job. They would have seen the school. Absolutely. They would have seen the school. It could have been revoked or it it would have been not approved for him to be there years ago.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

Absolutely. I mean, you know, I mean, ha I mean they I thought they always made visits in person. Uh, but it's uh it sounds like they just called him on the phone and said, What you doing? Oh, I'm working at a church. Oh, okay. Bye. You know it's what it sounds like. It's what it sounds like. But I thought that you always made the in-person visits. They're supposed to. Well, they didn't make it in-person at the uh on the campus, that's for sure. I mean, they would have saw kids there. But but the uh the thing about the kids, the if if the septic tank thing is true in the condoms and the septic tank, and the preacher's saying kids will be kids, uh you know, it's only it's only daycare and kindergarten kids there.

SPEAKER_02 17:47

I know.

SPEAKER_01 17:48

There's no high schoolers there. So saying kids will be kids, that was a very odd statement if if he made that.

SPEAKER_02 17:55

If he made that statement at all. Or if there is a septic tank at all, or if there is any of this at all. I don't know. But it is um it's one of those tangled web stories. And uh the public gets involved, and then you have these online salutes getting involved, and who knows who's seeking them out to give them false information and accounts, and he's he's referring these things to the law enforcement. I just why don't people just go to law enforcement? I I don't understand.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

Um the only person I think appreciates appreciative of uh of Don Williams right now is John Paul Miller. He's like, thank God. They're looking at somebody they're looking at somebody else.

SPEAKER_02 18:40

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_01 18:41

Even if his case his case was coming up in court, so he'll be back in the headline.

SPEAKER_02 18:44

That's a mess as well. Yeah. All right. Well, thank you so much. Uh by the way, Robbie Harvey says he's got a lot more information on that story in that video. He says, Don't worry, JP, I'm still coming for you. And he was talking about all these things that he was doing, insinuating, and he's got, I got all the details. And I I'm just like, I don't know this guy. Um so yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

All right, we' we we'll we'll be live streaming the um the the uh bond hearing at three o'clock. I think one th reason the uh sheriff does them at three o'clock is because um that way they they don't have time to get bonded out and they have to spend the night. Because if you're not bonded out by five o'clock, you have to spend the night again. I think I think that's why they do 'em at three.

SPEAKER_02 19:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 19:30

All right. Well we'll see what happens. Thank you guys. Have a wonderful weekend.

SPEAKER_02 19:34

All right. Thank you so much. Scott Harper, you can go to hope to see you tonight. Yes, yes, definitely. Go to gabnewsonline dot com to keep uh your finger on the pulse of this story and all the other stories that affect Georgetown and beyond. Thanks, Scott. Thank you.