Kemp signs Georgia bill criminalizing clergy sexual abuse
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation Monday criminalizing clergy sexual abuse, closing what advocates and survivors called a longstanding gap in state law.
Kemp signed Senate Bill 542 without issuing a public statement, according to his press secretary, Carter Chapman.
The new law adds clergy members to Georgia’s list of authority figures who can face criminal penalties for committing sexual misconduct in the course of their work. Teachers, therapists and law enforcement officers already were covered under similar statutes.
The legislation also removes consent as a legal defense in cases involving coercion or abuse of spiritual authority.
The bill passed unanimously in both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly. The House approved the measure 168-0 after the Senate earlier passed it 55-0.
Supporters said the law addresses situations in which clergy members allegedly manipulate adults through religious authority, pastoral counseling relationships or spiritual influence.
The legislation gained momentum after testimony from survivors, including Hayle Swinson, a former student at Truett McConnell University in Cleveland, Georgia. As first reported by The Roys Report in May 2025, Swinson alleged a longtime university vice president groomed and sexually abused her over several years.
That vice president, Bradley Reynolds, abruptly quit the school after being questioned by investigators in 2024. He later was indicted on charges of lying to police about his relationship with Swinson. That criminal case remains pending.
During committee testimony earlier this year, Swinson told lawmakers clergy abuse “begins with trust” rather than force. She described religious teachings used to justify abuse.
“Scripture was twisted from Genesis to Revelation to convince me that this was God’s will,” Swinson testified. Authority used to groom,” resulting, she said, in “boundaries slowly eroded, and what felt violating was reframed as obedience.”
Georgia House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration (R-Mulberry) explained during House debate that spiritual authority creates an imbalance of power between clergy members and congregants. The legislation, he said, would protect vulnerable people seeking counseling, guidance and healing.
Rep. Stacey Evans, D-Atlanta, called the legislation an opportunity to fix “a hole in the law that’s really hurting real people.”
Advocates also said the bill would protect churches and religious institutions from predatory leaders.
“SB 542 is not about targeting the faith community,” Rep. Scott Hilton (R-Peachtree Corners), said during debate. “It’s about protecting it.”
The legislation places Georgia among a growing number of states adopting laws specifically addressing clergy sexual abuse and spiritual coercion.
This article was originally published in The Roys Report.
Mark A. Kellner is a reporter based in Mesquite, Nevada. He most recently covered statewide elections for the New York Post and was for three years the Faith & Family Reporter for The Washington Times. Mark is a graduate of the University of the Cumberlands and also attended Boston University’s College of Communication.