Faith Life Church Scandal: Charges, Lawsuit, and Commissioner Fallout

The Faith Life Church scandal centers on Gary Thomas “Tom” Keesee Jr., the son of the Ohio megachurch’s founders, who faces 32 felony counts of rape, gross sexual imposition, and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor tied to four child victims. The alleged abuse spans 2001 to 2012. A jury trial is scheduled for September 29, 2026, and a civil lawsuit filed in October 2025 also names his parents and the church as defendants.¹

The Charges Against Tom Keesee Jr.

Keesee Jr. was arrested at his Johnstown, Ohio home on April 18, 2025 by Licking County deputies on two initial counts of rape.² Three days later, a Knox County grand jury returned a 27-count indictment. A superseding indictment on May 19, 2025 added five more charges and a fourth victim, bringing the total to 32 felony counts.³

The counts break down as follows:

13 counts of rape (first-degree felonies)
14 counts of gross sexual imposition (third-degree felonies)
5 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor (fourth-degree felonies)

Prosecutors say the alleged abuse occurred over an 11-year period, from 2001 to 2012, and involved four victims who were between the ages of 6 and 15 at the time. All identified victims had ties to Faith Life Church. Investigators interviewed approximately 40 witnesses across multiple states.² Keesee Jr. pleaded not guilty at his April 23, 2025 arraignment.⁴

Keesee Jr. had served as the church’s chief media officer before resigning in August 2024, several months before victims began approaching law enforcement.⁵

How the Case Came to Light

Law enforcement first got involved on December 17, 2024, when victims began coming forward with allegations connected to the church. The story broke into public view weeks later on social media. On February 1, 2025, one of the Keesees’ own daughters posted on Facebook that she had been sexually abused by a family member. Two days later her brother Timothy posted encouragement for other victims to come forward.⁶ Around that time Gary Keesee Sr. posted a video, later removed, telling family and staff, “My intent was never, or it is not, to ever cover up anything, anytime.”

Why the Investigation Was Handed Off Twice

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office concluded it could not lead the case. Tom Keesee Jr.’s mother, Drenda Keesee, is a Knox County commissioner, and commissioners vote on the sheriff’s budget.⁷ On January 28, 2025, the sheriff forwarded the case to the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation.⁶

Four days later, Attorney General Dave Yost recused himself and BCI. Yost said the Keesee parents “are friends and have been to my home for dinner” and that his office “could not credibly perform the investigation.”⁸ He later explained that his campaign team had encouraged him in early 2024 to get to know the Keesees because of their “broad reach and wide network,” and the families had shared a dinner at his home in February 2024.⁹ A Change.org petition demanding an independent investigation had gathered over 2,500 signatures before the recusal. Knox County Sheriff Daniel Weckesser said publicly that in his 21 years in law enforcement, he had never heard of BCI refusing a request for assistance.¹⁰

On February 7, 2025, the Licking County Sheriff’s Office agreed to take the lead. By February 13, Knox County had shifted into a support role.⁶

Bond, Release, and Trial Date

Knox County Common Pleas Judge Richard Wetzel initially set bond at $2 million cash with no 10-percent provision, and Keesee Jr. was held at the Licking County Justice Center.⁴ On November 6, 2025, the judge reduced bond to $1 million with a 10-percent provision, letting Keesee post $100,000 to secure release. He posted the bond and left jail shortly after the ruling.¹¹

Conditions of release require Keesee to wear a GPS ankle monitor, report weekly to a probation officer, surrender his passport and driver’s license, and have no contact with any of the accusers.⁴

The trial has been continued repeatedly. Originally set for July 1, 2025, it was moved to November 18, 2025, then delayed again after defense attorney Samuel Shamansky raised concerns about evidence disclosure, including recorded phone calls between two accusers.¹² A May 19, 2026 trial date was converted into an evidentiary hearing. During those proceedings, the defense questioned whether grand jury information had been prematurely leaked in a social media post and pointed to what it called “30-plus undocumented phone calls” between law enforcement and alleged victims. Judge Wetzel ordered the transcript sealed and set a new jury trial date of September 29, 2026.¹³

The Civil Lawsuit Against the Parents and the Church

On October 2, 2025, a woman identified as “O.W.” filed a civil suit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court naming Gary Keesee Jr., his parents Gary Keesee Sr. and Drenda Keesee, and Faith Life Church as defendants.¹⁴ The plaintiff, then 29, alleged that Keesee Jr. raped and sexually abused her beginning at age five and continuing until she was about 16.

The complaint alleges the elder Keesees “failed to protect” the plaintiff and “should have known that girls were in danger due to their son’s conduct and did nothing.” The suit seeks at least $25,000 in damages plus punitive damages for physical and psychological injuries, medical expenses, and lost wages.¹⁴

What the Church and the Keesee Family Have Said

Gary Keesee Sr. and Drenda Keesee issued a joint letter to their congregation on the day of the arrest. “Drenda and I are deeply heartbroken by the news of a criminal complaint filed against our son, Tom Keesee,” they wrote, adding that the church “decries all forms of sexual abuse and stands with survivors” and that the alleged incidents “occurred up to two decades ago that in no way involved Faith Life Church.”¹⁵ Keesee Sr. also said the church had “cooperated fully with investigators.”

In a separate March 2025 statement, the church said it had “strict policies and procedures designed to protect children and youth,” including screening, volunteer training, and supervision protocols, and that its “pastors and staff comply with all mandatory abuse reporting requirements under Ohio law.”¹⁶ When reporters asked church attorney Katie Taber for copies of those policies and the dates they took effect, she did not respond. Taber had earlier said the allegations were not directed at Gary or Drenda Keesee or any other church pastors.

Fallout for Drenda Keesee as Knox County Commissioner

Drenda Keesee won the Republican primary for Knox County Commissioner in March 2024 with roughly 40 percent of the vote, ran unopposed in the general, and took office in January 2025.¹⁷ Her position triggered the first jurisdictional conflict in the criminal investigation.

As public attention grew, fellow commissioners removed Keesee from the county’s Family and Children First Council, a body Ohio law requires a commissioner to sit on, and replaced her with Commissioner Bill Pursel to “take some of the pressure off of her” and address public complaints tied to her family situation.¹⁸ County staff handled a surge of emails, phone calls, and public records requests. Keesee missed two meetings after the allegations became public in February 2025 but resumed attending, typically arriving shortly before proceedings and leaving soon after. She remains in office, with her term running through January 2029.¹⁹

About Faith Life Church

Faith Life Church started as a basement Bible study led by Gary Keesee Sr. in 1994 and grew into a multi-campus operation headquartered in New Albany, Ohio.²⁰ The main campus opened on Beech Road in 2008, a second campus opened in Powell in 2020, and the church acquired a camp and retreat center in Danville in 2023. It also operates Guardian Academy, a K–12 school, and Life Leadership College. Gary and Drenda Keesee’s five children have all been involved in the ministry at various points.²¹

Beyond the Keesee prosecution, the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office has been separately investigating a second individual in connection with sexual abuse allegations tied to the church, though details of that inquiry have not been made public.²

1
NBC4i. Trial Date Set in Rape Case Against Son of New Albany Church Leaders
2
The Reporting Project. Son of Licking County Megachurch Leaders Indicted on 27 Counts of Sex-Related Criminal Offences
3
Knox Pages. Knox County Judge Lets $2M Cash Bond Stand for Former Faith Life Church Official Gary Tom Keesee Jr.
4
Knox Pages. Judge Reduces Bond for Gary Keesee Jr. in Alleged Rape Case
5
Knox Pages. Former Faith Life Church Members Attend Keesee Arraignment to Support Victims
6
Richland Source. Crisis of Faith: Sex Abuse Allegations Surround Keesee-Crafted Religious Empire
7
ABC 6 On Your Side. Faith Life Church Pastors Address Sexual Abuse Allegations Involving Former Church Leader
8
The Columbus Dispatch. Yost Cites Friendship With Mega-Church Leader in Recusal From Sex Case
9
Knox Pages. AG Dave Yost Explains Link to Faith Life Church Founders
10
Ashland Source. Crisis of Faith: Sex Abuse Allegations Surround Keesee-Crafted Religious Empire
11
ABC 6 On Your Side. Knox County Judge Lowers Bond for Ex-Faith Life Church Leader Gary Keesee Jr. in Rape Case
12
The Columbus Dispatch. Faith Life Church Founder Rape Case Ohio Gary Tom Keesee
13
Knox Pages. Keesee Hearing Gets Testy After Witness Asked About Grand Jury Information
14
WOSU Public Media. Woman Files Suit Against New Albany Church Founders’ Son Over Sex Abuse Claims
15
Mount Vernon News. Faith Life Church Responds to Arrest of Pastors’ Son, Urges Prayer and Healing
16
Knox Pages. Faith Life Church Statement Claims Inaccurate Media Reports on Sex Abuse Case
17
WOSU Public Media. Two Anti-Solar Republicans Win in Knox County Commissioner Primary Races
18
Knox Pages. Pursel Replaces Knox County Commissioner Keesee on Family Children First Council
19
Ohio Board of Elections. Knox County Elected Officials
20
Faith Life Church. Who We Are
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Faith Life Church. Our Pastors