Friday, August 21, 2026 - A Tennessee pastor has been sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted of r@ping a 5-year-old girl, while his wife was also found guilty of helping facilitate the ab¥se.
Benjamin Garlick, 35, was convicted of seven counts of
aggravated r@pe of a child, six counts of aggravated s€xual b@ttery,
solicitation of s€xual exploitation of a minor and other child protection
violations following a two-week trial in Rutherford County.
According to the Murfreesboro Police Department, Judge Barry
Tidwell sentenced Garlick to life imprisonment without the possibility of
parole on the aggravated r@pe convictions. He is expected to be sentenced on
the remaining convictions on November 10.
His 32-year-old wife, Shaantal Garlick, was convicted of two
counts of facilitating aggravated r@pe of a child and two counts of aggravated
child neglect. She is also scheduled to be sentenced on November 10.
The investigation began in August 2023 after police received
reports concerning the s€xual ab¥se of a 5-year-old child. Investigators later
identified two additional victims and determined that Shaantal had knowingly
neglected a child and assisted in the ab¥se, authorities said.
The couple were arrested in September 2023 and were later
reindicted by a Rutherford County grand jury in March 2024.
Police said Benjamin had spent several years travelling
across the United States as a minister, primarily working with the Hispanic
community. He was also involved with La Espada, a Murfreesboro-based ministry
for Spanish speakers.
Following the convictions, police urged anyone with
information about the case, particularly members of the Hispanic community who
may have been affected, to come forward.
