LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Reagan Danielle Gray, a former volunteer at Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, pleaded guilty Monday to sexual assault in the second degree for abusing a 15-year-old boy.
Details of the Abuse and Legal Proceedings
Gray, 26, was charged with abusing the minor between 2020 and summer 2021 while she was a student minister at the church and employed by Little Rock Christian Academy. Initially charged with sexual assault in the first and fourth degrees, she accepted a plea deal for the second-degree charge.
Judge Latonya Honorable sentenced Gray to six years’ probation, a $1,000 fine, mandatory DNA submission, registration on the sex offender list, and a no-contact order with the victim.
Discovery and Church Response
The victim’s parents found inappropriate text messages between Gray and their son in 2020 and reported them to the church’s senior pastor. The then-head pastor, Steven Smith, confronted Gray, who denied a physical relationship. Gray was removed from student ministry and required to undergo counseling but later returned to the role.
Gray was also removed from her job at Sylvan Hills Middle School in February 2024 amid the ongoing investigation.
Church Under Legal Scrutiny
Immanuel Baptist Church faces two lawsuits alleging it covered up sexual abuse claims. The suits, filed on behalf of anonymous plaintiffs John Doe and Jane Doe, suggest additional victims may come forward. Gray is named in one of the lawsuits.
Source Attribution
Information sourced from:
- Court records and affidavits filed in Pulaski County
- Local news reports from Arkansas media outlets