Cameron Giovanelli: Charges, Sentence, and Defamation Lawsuit

Cameron Giovanelli is a former pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Dundalk, Maryland, who pleaded guilty in December 2019 to a fourth-degree sex offense and second-degree assault for sexually abusing a 17-year-old student at the church’s school in 2007. In January 2020, a Baltimore County judge sentenced him to 90 days in jail and five years of supervised probation. He was not required to register as a sex offender.¹

The Abuse

Giovanelli led Calvary Baptist Church in Dundalk from 2003 through 2014.² The victim, Sarah Jackson, was a student at the church’s school. She also worked as his office assistant and was babysat by him.

Police charging documents say the abuse ran from January through August 2007, when Jackson was 17. It began with what police described as Giovanelli teaching her “how to kiss” and escalated into encounters that happened nearly daily.³ The incidents took place in school offices on church property, in Giovanelli’s car, and at the victim’s grandparents’ house.²

The abuse ended after an associate pastor at Calvary Baptist became suspicious and confronted Giovanelli. In an email afterward, Giovanelli reportedly thanked the associate for “saving his life and saving his ministry.”² Jackson did not report the abuse to police until May 2018, more than a decade later.¹

Arrest and 12-Count Indictment

On August 5, 2019, Giovanelli, then 42 and living in Florida, turned himself in to Baltimore authorities.⁴ He was serving as an associate pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in Jacksonville at the time of his arrest.⁵ He was released on his own recognizance with the condition that he have no contact with minors.

Later that month, a Baltimore County grand jury returned a 12-count indictment including sexual abuse of a minor, perverted practice, and a fourth-degree sex offense. The combined potential sentence was up to 36 years in prison.² Baltimore County Police said they believed there could be additional victims.

The Plea Deal

In December 2019, Giovanelli entered a plea agreement in Baltimore County Circuit Court. He pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors: fourth-degree sex offense and second-degree assault. Prosecutors dropped the remaining 10 counts, including the felony charge of sexual abuse of a minor.¹

The Sentence

On January 6, 2020, Circuit Judge Robert E. Cahill Jr. sentenced Giovanelli to 90 days in the Baltimore County Detention Center followed by five years of supervised probation, to be served in Florida.⁶ The sentence was classified as probation before judgment. Under the plea, Giovanelli was not required to register as a sex offender.¹ His attorney had asked that the sentence be served as house arrest. Prosecutor Francis Pilarski argued for jail time and told the court that Giovanelli “abused his authority and violated the trust of his church, community and family.”⁷

Sarah Jackson Speaks

At sentencing, Jackson addressed Giovanelli directly. “What you did to me could have destroyed me but I need you to know that I’m stronger than you have made me feel all these years,” she said. “I no longer hold your secrets.”⁷ She also told the court that even after Giovanelli left her life, “he still was affecting my life and had me living as someone I didn’t want to be.”⁸

Jackson told HuffPost the 90-day sentence was not ideal, but added: “What is a harsh enough sentence? 5 days, 5 months or 5 years. Nothing will take back what he did to me 13 years ago.”⁹ She went on to advocate publicly for survivors of church sexual abuse, calling on church leaders to stop prioritizing institutional reputation over the protection of congregants. Jackson also testified at sentencing that Giovanelli and his supporters had tried to smear her publicly after she went to police.⁷

Federal Defamation Lawsuit

In September 2020, Jackson filed a federal defamation lawsuit against Cameron Giovanelli, his wife Sarah Giovanelli, and Immanuel Baptist Church in Jacksonville. The complaint alleged “various false statements made over the internet” causing “irreparable damage” and said the statements were “made with malice and in an attempt to protect the financial interests of the defendants.”¹⁰

The suit cited an online post attributed to Giovanelli: “I do not deny the fact that Sarah (Hall) Jackson has had a rough life and may have been abused at some point in her life, but it was not by me!”¹⁰ The available reporting does not indicate how the civil case was resolved.

How Calvary Baptist Responded

Unusually, Giovanelli’s former congregation publicly sided with the victim. Pastor Stacey Shiflett, who succeeded Giovanelli, said the church learned of the accusations about a year before the arrest, after Jackson made a public statement on Facebook. Shiflett opened an internal review and contacted Jackson. “The same day I found out she had some story to tell, I was on the phone with her saying, ‘I want to hear your story,'” he said.⁴

Shiflett said he found the allegations credible and confronted Giovanelli by phone. According to Shiflett, when he told Giovanelli “I’m going to find out” whether the accusations were true, Giovanelli responded, “I know you will.”¹¹ The day after the arrest, a pastor and a deacon from Calvary Baptist issued a public statement: “Sexual abuse has no place within the church, nor do those who cover or ignore sexual abuse. The people of Calvary Baptist Church stand by the victim and join her in profound gratitude that Cameron Giovanelli will face justice.”¹²

1
CBS News Baltimore. Former Dundalk Pastor Cameron Giovanelli Gets 90 Days in Jail for Sex Offense
2
WBAL-TV. Former Dundalk Pastor Charged With Sexual Assault
3
Fox Baltimore. Former Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Dundalk Charged With Sex Assault of Teen Girl
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CBS News Baltimore. Cameron Giovanelli Indicted in Child Sex Abuse Case
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Jacksonville.com. 2007 Sexual Abuse Case Leads to Arrest of Jacksonville Associate Pastor
6
WBAL-TV. Former Dundalk Pastor Charged With Sex Offenses to Be Sentenced
7
Capital Gazette. Assault Victim Confronts Former Dundalk Pastor at Sentencing
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Bishop-Accountability.org. 13 Years After a Baptist Pastor Assaulted Her, a Survivor Gets Her Day in Court
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HuffPost. 13 Years After a Baptist Pastor Assaulted Her, a Survivor Gets Her Day in Court
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News4Jax. Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Ex-Pastor Who Was Sentenced to Jail on Sex Offenses
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CBS News Baltimore. Former Pastor at Baptist Church in Dundalk Charged in Sexual Assault of Child
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Dundalk Eagle. Local Fundamentalist Baptist Preacher Charged With Child Sex Abuse