A pastor who ran a ministry in a rumored community for Florida seniors — and ironically wrote a book on how to love your spouse — was arrested Wednesday on charges of having multiple women.
Leslie Williams, 62, was taken into custody at The Village, a sprawling retirement center, on an outstanding warrant out of Georgia, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
He is currently being held without bond due to his status as an out-of-state fugitive with a legal hold stemming from Rockdale County, Georgia.
“Florida marriage records were obtained and confirmed that Leslie Williams was legally married at the time of the subsequent marriage,” the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital. “Based on these records, a warrant was obtained for Leslie Williams on charges of bigamy.”
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Leslie Williams takes a selfie while riding a golf cart.
(Fox News)
Concerns were first raised after a complainant reported the alleged bigamy to the Haynes City Police Department in Florida, officials said. The case was later moved to Georgia after records showed Williams’ previous marriage was certified in Rockdale County.
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According to Williams’ Facebook page, the pastor had hinted at being married for years, dating at least into 2018, before a recent December post announced his new marriage to a woman named Cindy.
“Thank you for all the wonderful comments referring to my safe, beautiful and talented wife, Mrs. Williams!” he wrote in the post, which featured a photo of the woman as his updated cover image.
However, one friend reacted to the news of the celebration with some skepticism.
“Wow, I thought you were already married. Congratulations!!” The commenter wrote.
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A mugshot shows 62-year-old Florida pastor and marriage advice author Leslie Williams.
When another friend asked if the announcement was real, Williams replied, “Yes preacher!!!! Happiest man on earth!!”
However, the activity on her Facebook page suggests that the relationship may have been rocky in the months that followed.
According to his account activity, the cover photo featuring his new wife was removed about two months later and replaced with an image of a car.
The former American Idol contestant accused of murdering his wife was previously described as a ‘very talented’ church leader.
Her relationship status was also changed from “married” to “single”.
Documents show a warrant for his arrest was issued on April 3 by the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia.
Williams is currently being held at the Sumter County Detention Center in Florida pending extradition pursuant to warrant conditions.
Residents dance in the square of the Village retirement community on October 4, 2016 outside Orlando, Florida.
The arrest comes after the pastor published a book in 2017 titled “Love Her Like This: Loving Her Has Never Been Deeper.” According to its synopsis, the book aimed to promote “never-failing” love by emphasizing biblical commitments to strengthen marriage.
“At a time when the church has a high divorce rate, LHLT shows men [the] “The depth of Christ’s love for his bride as an example for every man to love his bride with equal strength, sacrifice and commitment,” says the book’s cover poster.
The 62-year-old also described himself as “an apologist and teacher of God’s Word with relevant and timely messages for the body of Christ.”
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He also runs Leslie Williams Ministries, which are located in villages, his website said.
According to the Associated Press, The Village is one of the world’s largest retirement communities outside of Orlando, where rumors of long-running vagrancy, public sexual encounters and unusually high rates of sexually transmitted diseases have surfaced over the years.
Original article source: Pastor known for marriage counseling arrested for having multiple wives in rumored swingers community
