Kenneth Baldwin, 47, the former senior pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church in Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia, has been arrested and charged with sexually explicit communication and conduct with a minor from York County, Pennsylvania, that allegedly started when the male victim was 15.
Kenny Baldwin preaching at Crossroads Baptist Church / Video screenshot
Baldwin faces 13 criminal charges in Pennsylvania, including two felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor, two counts of corruption of a minor, three misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure, and six misdemeanor counts of open lewdness. He was released on an $80,000 unsecured bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing this month. As with all defendants, Baldwin is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Pennsylvania State Police said Baldwin sent the teen weekly explicit text messages and nude photos via text message and WhatsApp between November 2024 and December 2025. Additional messages sent in May 2026 led to law enforcement’s involvement in the case. Investigators said Baldwin admitted to sending nude photos and exposing himself to the minor on three separate occasions in three states.
News of the charges spread quickly, and several ministries and schools Baldwin had been associated with moved swiftly to cut ties.
Crossroads Baptist Church, where Baldwin had served as senior pastor since 2011, relieved him of all ministry duties. The church said in a statement that it would seek “appropriate legal and spiritual counsel” now that it has been notified of the charges.
Veritas Baptist College in Indiana removed Baldwin from its board of directors. “The conduct alleged in the charges is reprehensible, sinful, and in direct conflict with the biblical standards, moral character, and leadership qualifications that Veritas Baptist College upholds for all trustees, faculty, staff, and leaders,” the college said in a statement.
Pensacola Christian College in Florida also distanced itself from Baldwin, saying his involvement with the school had been limited to guest-speaking engagements at the college and at a teen camp it hosts. Both the college and the camp released the same statement: “Sexual misconduct and abuse of trust are contrary to Scripture and incompatible with the character required of Christian leaders.”
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Two other churches where Baldwin previously preached as a guest also issued statements condemning his alleged actions. Gospel Light Baptist Church in Newnan, Georgia, said in response to the allegations: “We at Gospel Light Baptist Church want to publicly and clearly say that we do not condone or support this type of behavior from anyone behind the pulpit, any area of ministry service, or in the Christian life.”
Similarly, Westside Baptist Church in Evington, Virginia, said it would not comment on the “ongoing legal matter,” but that it does “want to affirm that the safety and protection of children is of the utmost importance to our church. We pray that the truth will come to light, that justice will be served, and that anyone who has been harmed will receive the care and the healing they need.”
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