Reporting the Truth.
Restoring the Church.
By Josh Shepherd
Daniel Mayfield, former youth pastor at First Baptist Church Gowensville in Landrum, S.C is facing multiple charges related to voyeurism and sexual exploitation. (Photo: Greenville County Sheriff’s Office)
A youth pastor in South Carolina who moonlighted as a videographer is facing dozens of charges of voyeurism and sexual exploitation, after he was hired for church weddings and secretly filmed women and minors undressing.
On Tuesday, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office released new details of charges against Daniel Kellan Mayfield, 35, who was employed as youth pastor and technology director at First Baptist Church (FBC) Gowensville near Greenville. According to Greenville News, authorities brought 24 new charges against Mayfield, including 18 for voyeurism and six first-degree counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
In total, across two S.C. counties, the former youth pastor faces 70 criminal charges. Mayfield was arrested on June 1 at his home in Boiling Springs and transported to Greenville County where he was charged. Mayfield is being held at Greenville County Detention Center, with no bond amount listed.
The latest charges are related primarily to two weddings that occurred in 2019 and 2021, where Mayfield was hired as videographer. The police warrant states that he set up cameras in areas of the church where the bridal party would have “reasonable expectation of privacy,” used for getting dressed and preparation. In a May 27 meeting at Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Mayfield confessed to possessing and storing the videos on his MacBook Pro.
Another warrant references a third wedding, where Mayfield was acting as “representative and keyholder” of FBC Gowensville. While serving in that church host role, he also surreptitiously filmed a bridal party in states of undress with hidden cameras. Other charges reference Mayfield serving in his “official capacity” as student minister and filming multiple girls, some as young as 14, in church bathrooms. First Baptist Church of Gowensville in Landrum, S.C. (Photo via social media)
The investigation into Mayfield for criminal sexual conduct began with an incident on May 27, when a woman reported him for voyeurism.
The woman was showering at a residence in Greenwood and noticed a light outside her bathroom window. She and her sister discovered Mayfield alone in the backyard, and he admitted to filming the woman. In the video, Mayfield exclaimed, “Oh, sh–,” when caught in the act of recording, reports state.
According to a statement from First Baptist Church Gowensville Senior Pastor Josh Phillips, Mayfield has been employed since 2016 as student minister and managed “anything related to technology, including website and app duties” at the Landrum church. The South Carolina Baptist Convention lists FBC Gowensville as a member.
“This was a complete and total shock to everyone who knew him, from parents to volunteers to students to family and close friends,” Phillips told Greenville News. “Unfortunately, these things usually are surprises. It is the people you do not expect.”
A statement on the church’s website does not name Mayfield but notes church leaders were “made aware of an incident of moral misconduct perpetrated by one of our staff members” on May 27. It states that, “Proper authorities were notified immediately and the employee was terminated from his role.”
“We remain dedicated to providing a safe worship environment and will be ever vigilant in protecting all persons involved in any of our events,” added the church statement.
Freelance journalist Josh Shepherd writes on faith, culture, and public policy for several media outlets. He and his family live in the Washington, D.C. area.
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