Former Pastor Pleads Guilty in Child Pornography Case; More Charges Await
Daniel Mayfield, a former pastor from Spartanburg County, has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography in a federal court on November 19. This 36-year-old Boiling Springs resident now faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a possible fine of $250,000, and at least five years of parole.
However, this isn’t the only trouble Mayfield faces. The man, who formerly served as a youth pastor at the Gowensville Baptist Church in Landrum, is also facing more than 100 sex-related charges in the Upstate area of South Carolina.
Disturbing Proceedings
A deeper look into the court documents suggests that Mayfield knowingly possessed materials containing an image of a child under 12. However, the heavy blow on Mayfield’s reputation doesn’t end there.
In fact, Estcourt has been accused of some shocking activities involving intruding on personal privacy. Specifically, Mayfield is alleged to have filmed women and children changing in private settings, actions which resulted in charges of voyeurism and sexual exploitation of a minor lodged against him in July 2023.
Moreover, there have been horrifying accusations that Mayfield also filmed children in the bathroom while serving as a youth pastor at his church. These discoveries led to him receiving additional counts of voyeurism.
A Chain of Offenses
On November 1, whilst already imprisoned in the Greenville County Detention Center, investigators from the Spartanburg County Sheriffโs Office found that photocopying had committed similar offenses in Spartanburg County, which further added to his charges.
Astonishingly, even as these disturbing investigations started to amount, there are yet similar charges still pending in other counties, including Beaufort County and Charleston County. This multi-county involvement in illegal activities is the reason the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office will preside over the prosecution process.
Considering the gravity and horrifying nature of his acts, Mayfield remains in custody at the Greenville County Detention Center. With an unending list of charges at both federal and state levels, it seems Mayfield will face several trials in the coming months. The date of his sentencing for his federal crime of possession of child pornography has yet to be set.
May these incidents be a stark reminder to us all of the importance of ensuring safety for our children and continually scrutinizing all environments, regardless of their seemingly innocent appearances.
