GBI Arrests Former Youth Pastor for Sexual Exploitation Charges

On Monday, November 15, 2021, the GBI arrested Steve Macallin Thomas, 22, of Garfield, GA.  Thomas is charged with two counts of Sexual Exploitation and two counts of Sexual Battery. These charges stem from a GBI investigation at the request of the Candler County Sheriff’s Office.  The victims that have been identified so far were children under the age of 15 at the time of the incidents.

Thomas is a former Youth Pastor at the Restoration Worship Center in Metter, GA.  He turned himself in to the Candler County Jail on Monday evening.

This criminal investigation is active and ongoing.  Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Statesboro at 912-871-1121.  Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.