A former Worship leader at 2|42 Community Church was arrested last year for hiding a camera in a uni-sex staff bathroom. Will Johnson, 37, faces a raft of charges for his actions. When church leaders confronted Johnson, he confessed his crimes, and the church fired him immediately. He also made an admission to the police, where he reported having used the hidden cameras for years. The disgraced former worship leader is being held on a $250,00 bond.
The worship leader faces a felony count of surveilling an unclothed person. He was also charged with using a computer to commit a crime and destruction of evidence. Eric Rauch, the executive pastor, explained how the hidden camera was discovered inside “a non-public, unisex bathroom in the (Brighton church’s) backstage area.” According to the pastor, the cameras were targeting a specific un-named individual.
He added,” “We are shocked and deeply saddened by this situation, as the protection, safety, and privacy of every person who enters our church is our priority.” He concluded his written remarks by explaining that the church “is cooperating fully with the sheriff’s office investigation and is taking proactive steps, including engaging with a third-party investigator, to ensure the safety of all our facilities.”
In an interview posted by local media, the pastor said, “It’s been unimaginable. My heart absolutely breaks.” Raunch said, “We dedicate our lives to impacting our communities in a positive way and caring for people, and… to have someone from the inside betray that to such a degree and level…it’s hard to find the words.” The pastor was obviously distraught by the situation and almost broke into tears during the interview.
The pastor concluded by saying, “We had a bad apple, and I believe… that God can redeem this, [and] that our community can move forward even stronger because of it.” One of the members of 2|42 reacted to the scandal. He said, ” It’s always going to be on the back of my mind, but that’s going to be [true] anywhere. [It could happen at] a school, church, hospital, and I don’t think 2|42 [is to blame] for this. I really feel like it could have happened to anybody.”
We reported recently on a similar case out of Arizona. Arturo Laguna has been arrested for secretly recording videos of women in the church’s bathroom. The device was discovered after the camera fell out of a dryer. The pastor at the Casa de Adoracion in Phoenix is alleged to have hidden a recording device in the church bathroom last fall. Police say he recorded women in October and early November.
Watch the video interview below:
The disgraced preacher was caught after a mother discovered the camera while changing her baby’s diaper. After authorities confronted the pastor with screenshots of Laguna adjusting the camera inside the bathroom, he admitted to his crimes. Police uncovered four short videos of adult women using the bathroom. He was arrested and charged with multiple counts of voyeurism, which is a felony in Arizona.
Featured image from embedded video