Pastor Scott Hughes of Somerset, Kentucky, Faces Five Additional Sex Crime Charges

Scott C. Hughes, 54, a pastor in Somerset, Kentucky, was arrested on Thursday night, October 1, at his Somerset home, according to Pulaski County Sheriff Bobby Jones. Kentucky Today and the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) report that Hughes is pastor of Pleasant View Baptist Church in Waynesburg, while The Roys Report describes him as a Southern Baptist pastor in eastern Kentucky. He was charged with second- and third-degree sodomy, first-degree sexual abuse, and other offenses, and was lodged in the Pulaski County Detention Center on a $75,000 bond. The charges concern alleged abuse of minors, and the reports do not state that any of the allegations have been proven in court.

The investigation was opened after Crimes Against Children Detective Jay Picard received information about alleged sexual contact involving Hughes and individuals who were minors at the time, according to SNAP’s report. SNAP states that the allegations concern conduct in Pulaski County beginning in 2018. The Roys Report gives a different account of the timeline, saying the charges stem from incidents dating back eight years. The Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division is handling the case.

According to Sheriff Jones, as reported by The Roys Report, an adult male said Hughes sexually abused him beginning when he was about 10 years old, including incidents in Pulaski County. WKYT reports that the man came forward claiming abuse that began at age 10 and continued for several years. Speaking up for those who cannot defend themselves is the reason such reports matter for the vulnerable (Proverbs 31:8-9). These are allegations made by the complainant and have not been tested in court.

WKYT reported that additional charges were filed against Hughes, identifying them as first-degree sodomy, second-degree sodomy, first-degree sexual abuse, human trafficking of a victim under 18, and incest of a person under 18 by a person three years or older. WKYT’s report attributes the charges to the Pulaski County authorities but is incomplete on which office filed them. The Roys Report says Hughes was served with another arrest warrant on October 8 while still detained at the Pulaski County Detention Center, bringing the total number of charges to nine. The Roys Report states that the five additional charges were filed after the initial arrest. The reports do not describe any plea, trial date, or court ruling.