In style Christian apologetics group Solutions in Genesis has confirmed that Michael Howard, a member of TrueSong — the resident musical act of the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum in Northern Kentucky — is not linked to the band after he was charged with 80 counts of sexual abuse and sodomy of an adolescent who was additionally a member of a church the place he served as worship chief.
“While the ministry does not generally comment on personnel matters, we can confirm that Michael Howard is no longer affiliated with Answers in Genesis. In fact, his departure occurred before we became aware of the investigation against him,” Mark Looy, Solutions in Genesis’ chief industrial officer, instructed The Christian Put up in an announcement Thursday.
“To respect the privacy of those involved and because this is a matter currently under investigation, we are not in a position to comment further, other than to ask for prayers for all the individuals involved, especially the possible victims.”
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A press release revealed this month by the Boone County Sheriff’s Workplace in Burlington, Kentucky, stated investigators obtained a report on Dec. 27, 2024, from a now-adult male that Howard, 36, started sexually abusing and sodomizing him when he was simply 15 in 2019.
“The victim identified the suspect as 36-year-old Michael Howard of Burlington and reported that he started working for him in the fall of 2019. The following spring, Howard began sending messages of a sexual nature to the then-15-year-old victim. That same year, the sexual abuse and sodomy began and continued on multiple occasions over the next four years,” the discharge stated.
“In addition to the victim working for Howard, detectives learned that they were members of the same church. Detectives corroborated the victim’s statement after conducting additional interviews and learned that Howard made admissions regarding his ‘3-4 year’ relationship,” investigators stated.
Howard was arrested on Jan. 2 and charged with 40 counts of first-degree sexual abuse and 40 counts of third-degree sodomy. He was positioned within the Boone County Jail on a $250,000 bond.
On the time of his arrest, Howard was a member of Florence Baptist Temple in Kentucky, the place he joined in 2009.
A cached web page from the church’s web site states that he started serving as their worship chief in 2022. It additionally states that he’s married and a father of two daughters.
An arrest warrant for Howard cited by The Lexington Herald-Chief stated it was the sufferer’s household who reported the abuse to regulation enforcement and the church.
The church didn’t reply to a request for remark from CP on Thursday.
Howard was reportedly a good friend of the sufferer’s household for a few years, and the sufferer noticed him as a task mannequin previous to the abuse. Court docket paperwork state Howard started sending the sufferer express messages over Snapchat and is accused of abusing him no less than 4 instances every week.
The previous TrueSong member allegedly instructed the sufferer repeatedly that he “could not talk about it” and the abuse “can never be known.” When the sufferer turned 18, Howard allegedly requested him to say the connection began at the moment.
Howard was one of many 4 authentic members of TrueSong, which was shaped in 2022, in response to a cached web page on the group’s web site on which he’s not featured. The group’s debut album, “Tell Someone,” was nominated for a GMA Dove Award in 2024.
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“Well bless their hearts.”
