South Carolina megachurch has history of child sex abuse claims

CHARLESTON, S.C. — A newspaper is reporting that a South Carolina megachurch with a volunteer accused of sexually assaulting 14 children has a history of child sexual misconduct cases.

The Post and Courier reports 28-year-old Jacop Hazlett is the fourth NewSpring Church worker to be accused since 2016.

In each case, the paper says, church officials have expressed shock and fired the accused.

(Jacop Hazlett)

The Southern Baptist church has 14 campuses where 20,000 weekly attendees donate $41 million a year.

In 2016, volunteer Leo La Salle Comissions admitted to fondling a teen on a church campus, and volunteer Chaz McKinsey Wood admitted to molesting a 10-year-old. Each pleaded guilty to assault and received probation. Youth pastor Caleb Lide Jordan's case is pending; he's accused of soliciting sex from a minor last year.