By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor
COLFAX, La. (LBM) – During a live streamed press conference, June 12, Grant Parish Sheriff Steven McCain urged anyone who has any knowledge of crimes by, or has been victimized by Daryl Stagg, a former Louisiana Baptist associational mission strategist, to report it.
“We are concerned that there are other children that have been hurt,” McCain shared. “So, our message this morning is: ‘You’re safe. Mr. Stagg is in jail.’”
The contact website is www.GrantSO.org, and the phone number is (318) 627-2010.
McCain indicated that the investigation was sweeping and involved Rapides, Grant and Union Parishes in Louisiana, and Kenosha County in Wisconsin.
“If you’ve been hurt by Daryl Stagg, if you get in touch with us, we will do the rest,” he promised.
McCain said his office was contacted about three weeks ago by the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office about “some young children that had been raped.”
The investigation grew to involve the four sheriffs’ offices that are now engaged in the matter and led to Stagg’s arrest in Grant Parish on the morning of June 8.
CHARGES
McCain restated the charges that have been filed in Grant Parish against Stagg: three counts of first-degree rape, three counts of oral sexual battery, three counts of aggravated crimes against nature and three counts of indecent behavior with juveniles.
“The first-degree rape alone carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole,” he emphasized. “These are some extremely serious charges. The bond in Grant Parish was set at $500,000 by Judge [Warren Daniel] Willett.”
However, Stagg also faces an additional bond in Union Parish, according to Sheriff Dusty Gates.
Gates said his office was able to identify one victim in Union Parish, in the Bernice area.
“After the interview, we obtained a warrant for Mr. Stagg, charging him with one count of first-degree rape, one count of oral sexual battery, one count of aggravated crimes against nature and one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile.
“Mr. Stagg’s bond was set at $950,000 by one of our local judges,” he added.
The four counts charged by Union Parish were additional to the 12 counts filed by Grant Parish. Moreover, it was stated that if Stagg was able to make bond in Grant Parish, he would be taken immediately to Union Parish where he would be subject to making bond there, too.
Several questions were raised about details pertaining to the charges. However, the three parish sheriffs concurred that they needed to be cautious in how much they shared because of concerns that they might impede the prosecution of Stagg. McCain did indicate the allegations went back years, but not decades.
LOUISIANA BAPTIST TIES
Since October 2018, Stagg has served as the associational mission strategist for the combined 87 congregations of the Big Creek and CenLa Baptist Associations. His role was to assist congregations during pastor transitions; with revitalizing and replanting struggling churches; and in coordinating joint missions and ministries among the churches in each of the associations.
His offices are in the Louisiana Baptist Building. However, he is not an employee of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Yet his prominent role with Louisiana Baptist churches catalyzed questions about what Louisiana Baptist leaders knew regarding Stagg’s criminal behavior and whether Stagg had met any of his victims in church.
Sheriff McCain said he could not answer the first question and preferred not to answer the second.
However, the Louisiana Baptist Convention issued a statement, June 8, that spelled out that leaders had no prior knowledge of the charges filed against Stagg.
BAD GUY OFF STREET
The original complaint was made to the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office; but Sheriff Mark Wood explained his team shortly realized the crime “actually had happened in Grant Parish.”
“This is a horrible tragedy that took place,” Wood told the press conference attendees.
“The cooperation — among all the agencies here that you see — is textbook,” he offered. “I think we’re going to get a bad guy off the street that needs to be off the street.
