Tennessee Pastor Gets Life Sentence for Rape of Five-Year-Old Girl; Wife Also Convicted

A Tennessee pastor, Benjamin Garlick, has been sentenced to life imprisonment without parole after a jury convicted him of raped-related offences against a five-year-old girl. He was found guilty of seven counts of aggravated rape of a child, six counts of aggravated sexual battery, solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor, and other child-protection offences. Police said their investigation, which began in August 2023, later identified two additional victims. His wife, Shaantal Garlick, was convicted of facilitating aggravated rape of a child and aggravated child neglect. She was accused of knowingly neglecting a child and helping to facilitate the abuse. Both were arrested in September 2023. Benjamin Garlick is still due to be sentenced on his remaining convictions, while his wife will also be sentenced later.

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