Victims File Lawsuit Against Children’s Minister In Jonesboro Local Church, Alleging 15 Years Of Molestation

A children’s minister at a church in Jonesboro has been accused in a lawsuit of molesting young girls over a period of 15 years while also allegedly filming them in secret.

Anthony Tony Waller, a credentialed child minister affiliated with an Assemblies of God church, was identified as the defendant in the lawsuit. The complaint was filed by six adult women who allege they were victimized by Waller as children.

According to the women, Waller caused them irreparable trauma by molesting them across two generations. In addition, the Assemblies of God policy discouraged secular counseling, which made things worse for the women.

The suit stated, “In this present matter, it was the abundance of tenderness and forgiveness extended to pedophile children’s pastor Tony Waller by the Assemblies of God that resulted in these Plaintiffs’ abuse and resulting harms.”

The lawsuit also accused the church of “covering up” Waller’s acts after evidence found directly pointed at him as the monster. In April of 2000, the church was first presented with evidence against the child minister, and in 2004, a hidden camera was found in a girl’s bathroom.

Despite the concrete evidence against Waller, the church let him remain in his position, as directed by the national council. The Assemblies of God Policy focused on “restoring with a gentle hand.”

The lawsuit added that it became clear later that Waller created child pornography in the church. He also kept “hours of recorded footage of nude little girls in the church.”

According to the suit, in 2015, Waller’s wife turned him in. Subsequently, in 2016, he pleaded guilty to child rape and was sentenced to life in prison. During the investigation, Jonesboro police recovered more than 400,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material.

Waller allegedly took little girls to the bathrooms and insisted they undressed for exercise and stretching. There were peepholes and hidden cameras found inside the bathroom.

Waller was shortly fired from the church following his arrest. The Assemblies of God General Council revised its policy following the incident. According to the new policy installed in 2021, the church no longer allows pastors accused of pedophilia and child sexual abuse to be eligible for restoration to ministry.

The lawsuit is seeking punitive and compensatory damages and a jury trial.