Happy Home Baptist Church in Nakina, North Carolina, is now reeling after their recently hired pastor was arrested Saturday for allegedly grabbing the “private parts” of a 13-year-old middle school student.
Their pastor, Devin Carroll, 22, was arrested and charged on Saturday with third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor under the age of 16, according to MyHorryNews. He is accused of grabbing the teenager on May 29, in the “private parts in a lewd and lascivious manner with the intent of arousal” at 1104 Elm St. in Conway. The address is that of Conway Middle School.
Horry County Schools confirmed that Carroll was an in-school suspension aide at the school but had resigned several months before the alleged assault took place.
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“Devin Carroll is a former employee of Horry County Schools,” the school district told MyHorryNews. “On January 7, 2025, Mr. Carroll submitted a resignation with an effective date of June 7, 2025. He was assigned as an in-school suspension aide at Conway Middle School during his employment.”
After his arrest on Saturday, Carroll was held at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center until Monday, when he was released on a $30,000 bond.
Former Conway Middle School student, 15-year-old Matilda Wofford, told WMBF News she was not surprised by the charges against Carroll.
“He was very flirtatious with my classmates,” Wofford said, noting that Carroll harassed her underage classmates and openly asked them for their telephone numbers and asked if they had boyfriends.
“When you’re this young, it doesn’t really register in your mind that people you’re interacting with on a daily basis are actually really weird and do not have the right intentions in their mind,” she said.
“It makes me feel bad for not speaking up, because it makes me think there could have been so many other opportunities that he could have done that to someone else that’s my age. Like, one of my classmates that I could have known. Like a friend of mine.”
An archived webpage for Happy Home Baptist Church shows that Carroll had been serving as their pastor since May 26, 2024. The church website is limited to a single page with minimal information. Calls to the church for comment by CP went unanswered.
“He believes that everyone is loved and valued in the eyes of the Lord, which means they are loved and valued at Happy Home,” the church says of Carroll on their archived webpage.
“Pastor Devin surrendered to preach the gospel at 16 years old. With God as his guide he leads our church out into the community as we teach and share God’s word with all people. As we strive to be the church that God’s love is shining bright in.”
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