The former principal of a Christian boarding school in Missouri that was closed in March amid allegations of abuse has been charged with sex crimes involving a former student.

Court records show Craig Wesley Smith Jr. was charged with forcible sodomy and attempted forcible rape by a Wayne County prosecutor in September. He is accused of forcing a young girl, a university student, to have sex in the late 2000s. Lighthouse Christian Academy In Piedmont, St. It’s about 130 miles south of St. Louis.

Smith allegedly told the girl he would kill her and “make it look like she committed suicide” if the girl told anyone, a probable cause statement said.

Smith faces arraignment Thursday in Wayne County. Messages were left for Smith and his attorney Tuesday.

ABM Ministries operated the school, which claimed success in helping students who were troubled, had learning disabilities, or were dealing with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or other disorders. Lighthouse Christian Academy was closed after state criminal charges were filed against husband-and-wife owners Larry and Carmen Musgrave and teacher Caleb Sandoval.

The Musgraves were charged with first-degree kidnapping for allegedly locking a student in a room, but a Wayne County judge dismissed the charges on Oct. 15. The reason wasn’t immediately clear. Prosecutor Attorney Ginger Koller Joyner declined to comment.

Sandoval was charged with abuse or neglect of a child, accused of injuring a 15-year-old boy while boxing. He pleaded guilty in July and was sentenced to five years of probation.

A 2009 federal lawsuit accused Smith of having sex with an unnamed female student. It was unclear whether she was the same girl named in the criminal case. Court records show ABM Ministries and Musgraves agreed to pay $750,000 in the settlement, and Smith agreed to pay $100,000.

Other Christian boarding schools in Missouri We have faced allegations of abuse in both criminal charges and lawsuits.

Agape Boarding School The hospital in Stockton was closed in 2023 after years of investigations and allegations of physical and sexual abuse. Criminal cases against him are still ongoing Agape’s long-time doctora person accused of various sexual crimes.

Circle of Hope Girls Farm near Humansville closed in 2020. former ownerStephanie Householder is scheduled to go to trial next year on child abuse charges. Her husband, Boyd Household, was accused of nearly 80 counts of harassment but died in June.

The schools were unrelated to each other and were not affiliated with any Christian denomination.

Allegations of abuse at Agape and Circle of Hope A state law passed in 2021 mandating stricter rules for such facilities. Missouri previously had virtually no control over religious boarding schools.

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