Sordid sex scandal shatters beloved Texas pastor's family man image: God-fearing town is torn apart as explosive photos and documents emerge

By LAURA PARNABY, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 00:14, 2 July 2026 | Updated: 00:20, 2 July 2026 For years, Eric Crawford was the face of Heritage Baptist Church – a charismatic preacher, devoted family man and trusted spiritual leader whose sermons drew hundreds of worshippers to the tight-knit Texas congregation.  Nestled between lush green fields in the peaceful Fort Worth suburb of Haslet, the church and its schools have served as the moral anchor of the picket-fence community since they were founded by Crawford in the early 2000s.  But the pastor's picture-perfect reputation came crashing down when congregants unearthed the sordid secret he had been hiding – that his son, who worked closely with their children for years, is a registered sex offender.  The revelation that longtime elementary school 'janitor' Caleb Crawford, 31, was on the register for sexually abusing his 13-year-old cousin in 2012 prompted an exodus of members from the church, followed by his father's abrupt resignation in February. Caleb's victim, Taylor Hamilton, now 27, recently spoke out about the ordeal in heart-wrenching interviews that shook the community and raised concerns among parents for the safety of their own children who were attending the private schools.   Now, the flames of fury have been fanned further after the church's pastoral committee recommended reinstating Crawford as pastor, a move that was backed by more than half of church members in a vote on Sunday. Despite receiving 56 percent of the vote, church bylaws required a 75 percent majority to restore him to the role. Shocked parents Jennifer Wedel, whose daughter attended the schools, and Katie Thompson, a former charter member, told the Daily Mail the charming pastor still has many devoted acolytes who have been told that Hamilton was lying about the abuse she suffered. Speaking before the vote took place, Wedel said the mass departure of members who believe Hamilton would mean the vote on whether to reinstate Crawford would largely be decided by this 'brainwashed' loyal flock.  Eric Crawford gives a sermon at Heritage Baptist Church. He has been the face of the church since the early 2000s Crawford and his wife, Tanya, attend a celebratory function. He has a reputation in the community for being a 'charming' family man Heritage Christian Academy, in the Fort Worth suburb of Haslet, Texas  'Eric was the founder of the church and the school,' she said. 'He paints himself like he's the martyr and he only did what he thought was best for his son.  'We're called to forgive, and he told the congregation that Taylor was lying. 'When you have someone who's been a mentor to you for so long, sometimes it's hard to wake up to the realization that they are not who they said they were.' The stark divide in the community was not just reflected in the split result of the vote. Despite his resignation, Crawford reportedly taught Sunday school and addressed the congregation before learning his fate. At the same time, former congregants staged an angry protest outside. Wedel, a 43-year-old finance manager, said she turned against the church this year after feeling 'betrayed' by Crawford and disillusioned by the institution she said has rushed to protect him.  'My daughter actually graduated from there in May of 2022, so when this first came to light in February, I was mortified. I was angry,' she said.  'With a private church school, there's a second layer of trust and blind faith that you put into this institution, and we were told that our kids would be safe. 'They went to lengths to tell us that the principal had a gun, that he is armed and trained, but assured us the gun was locked away. What they didn't tell us is that there was a walking threat from the inside.' Wedel said she immediately called her daughter, Jada, now 22, for reassurance that she had not been abused by Caleb. Jada told her that 'he was always around,' while raising the question: 'How did none of us know?' Jennifer Wedel, whose daughter attended the schools, spoke with the Daily Mail about feeling 'betrayed' by Eric Crawford Katie Thompson, a former charter member of the church, who has since spoken out against moves to reinstate Eric Crawford as pastor Thompson, 42, another Haslet local who broke free from the church, said Caleb was frequently seen with the children at Heritage Daycare and Preschool and Heritage Christian Academy. 'He got the kids out of the car when [parents] dropped [them] off,' she told the Daily Mail, adding that children were able to identify him by name and knew the car he drove. 'He'd help put the kids in the car when [parents] picked [them] up, and [the parents] obviously didn't know anything about this until recently. 'Teachers and members of the church knew, just not parents or kids that attended the school.' Thompson added that Caleb would also hold music lessons at the elementary school, and his role seemed to extend far beyond the responsibilities of an externally contracted maintenance man. 'He had an office in the school building just down the hallway from the bathroom,' she said. 'Janitors don't usually have a desk with an office. We're unsure what he was really doing other than what kids have said so far.' Heritage Baptist Church describes itself as 'a home for your family' on its website, while the school claims to provide 'safe, engaging environments for children, students and adults to learn, grow and build lasting relationships.'  Crawford acknowledged in a statement published February 16 that he hired his son to lead music at Heritage Baptist Church and work as an independent contractor at Heritage Christian Academy. Taylor Hamilton, now 27, recently spoke out about the abuse she allegedly suffered by cousin Caleb Caleb Crawford speaks at the pulpit, flanked by his father, Pastor Eric Crawford  A statement published in February in which Crawford acknowledged that he hired his son to lead music at Heritage Baptist Church and work as an independent contractor at Heritage Christian Academy 'My intent was to allow his gifts to serve the ministry while ensuring that he held no role of responsibility or authority over minors entrusted to our care,' he said.  Thompson, who works as head of product for an education technology firm, said the revelations about Caleb were unearthed by a congregant who realized he had been arrested this year for failing to register as a sex offender, an annual requirement.  Tarrant County Sheriff's Office confirmed to the Daily Mail that Caleb was detained on this charge in February, and is currently out on $25,000 bond.   'There were church members that were told he was not guilty and it was all made up,' Thompson told the Daily Mail.  'But then they pulled the court documents and read everything and said, "Oh, this was an ongoing situation for years. There seems to be no question." 'So they feel lied to, just kind of shocked. They expected to be able to trust people that you go to church with, and it's been devastating for the community.' Court documents seen by the Daily Mail show that Caleb pleaded guilty on October 21, 2016, to indecency with a child, with the offense date logged as January 1, 2012. He was jailed for two years for the second-degree felony.  Thompson told the Daily Mail she has known the elder Crawford for decades, and he has a reputation in the community for being a 'charming' family man, married to the church secretary, Tanya, with three sons. 'He's kind of arrogant, but can be funny, too, which wins over a lot of people,' she said.  Crawford and Tanya, who worked as a secretary for the church Crawford and Tanya pose for a family photo with Caleb, their other two sons, and other members of the family One of Caleb's police booking photographs from February However, Thompson added that she has seen his darker side. She claimed his personality caused such schisms in the community in the 1990s that the Haslet institution splintered into two churches when he was nominated as pastor in '97. 'I think that he really enjoys being in power,' Thompson told the Daily Mail.  'I think there's a lot of inside-the-church chatter and rumors about what he's been allowed to get away with and that kind of stuff.  'My experience with the church in general was that they preach one thing and they do another. So if you're in the right circle, you get to get away with it.  'This is an independent fundamental Baptist church, it's very conservative.   'And if you're in the wrong circle, you get called into a room and they say, "Oh, you're wearing too much makeup, your shirt's too tight," that kind of thing.  'But the people in power can do what they want.' Thompson said she launched a petition in February requesting a third-party investigation into the allegations that Crawford concealed the truth about Caleb and told teachers and church staff members not to tell parents about his criminal history.  She also pushed for his resignation, which was achieved – but she believes he may still find a way to return to the church given his support from a sizable part of the congregation. Heritage Baptist Church could vote to reinstate Eric on Sunday despite the controversy Crawford founded the Heritage Baptist Church in the 2000s Wedel, meanwhile, has organized a protest outside the church on Sunday, which is set to coincide with a sermon by Crawford ahead of the vote.  She claimed being vocal has come at a cost – as multiple loyalist members of Crawford's flock have threatened to dox her online and turn up at her workplace.  'It's almost like a cult-type environment,' she said. 'They protect their leader. 'But I feel the weight and the responsibility to make sure that other parents realize what's going on.'  Thompson echoed the same sentiment about her experience questioning the church leadership.  'When you're in the church and you speak out, you kind of get shunned,' she said.  'And so you lose your friends and family. When you're in a church like that, it's very close-knit.  'I knew that people wouldn't be able to speak up even if they disagreed, so I want to give a voice to [them]. 'There's a lot of different things that have happened to people in this church over the years, and you typically leave because it's just easier than being told that you're the problem. Eric and Tanya Crawford with two Heritage Baptist Church congregants  '[Crawford's case] feels like a microcosm of cases where people keep protecting pedophiles and sex offenders instead of holding them accountable. 'It's a microcosm of what's really happening overall in the United States. We're not holding any of these individuals accountable when they do violate our children, and that's not okay.' Wedel added that she 'applauded' Hamilton for speaking out against her cousin in an attempt to make sure no other children were harmed. 'So much of the congregation was led to believe that Taylor, the victim, was lying, which is absolutely horrid,' she said.  'I applaud Taylor so much because if it was not for her coming out and supporting those parents in February who found his status, I don't think that he would've even stepped down to begin with.'  The Daily Mail has contacted Crawford, the church, schools and attorneys for Caleb for comment. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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