Duncan Youth Pastor Wanted on Child Sex Abuse Charges: What Lawton-Area Families Should Know

A Duncan youth pastor is wanted in Stephens County on two felony counts of child sexual abuse, and the case involves three teenage girls from his own congregation. Andrew Paul Benton, 27, served as president and youth pastor at the Assembly of Our Lord Jesus Christ. According to a warrant affidavit, he communicated with a 16-year-old girl on Snapchat and engaged in sexual acts with her between March and August 2025, often during church events out of town. Investigators with the Duncan Police Department and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation are handling the case, which was reported by Scott Rains of The Lawton Constitution.

The affidavit also describes a pattern of fear. One girl said she was scared of Benton and scared of getting in trouble, and another girl’s father told OSBI Agent Lindsey Adamson that he had complained about Benton’s behavior to the church’s head pastor but nothing was done. Benton was arrested in March for violating a protective order and later released on a $2,500 bond. Two protective orders are now in place, a hearing is scheduled for Dec. 15, and a jury trial is set for Feb. 26, 2027. Each charge carries up to life in prison, with 85% of the sentence required before parole.

For families across Lawton, Fort Sill, and the surrounding communities, this is a difficult reminder that youth ministry runs on trust, and trust needs structure. Benton is presumed innocent unless and until a jury says otherwise, but the questions raised here are worth asking at any church in our area: who supervises youth leaders, how do adults communicate with minors, and what happens when a complaint is made? Have you ever looked into the safety policies at the youth program your kids attend? Tell us in the comments.