CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The senior pastor of a Clarksville church has been arrested in Michigan on charges that he raped two teenagers.
Pastor Larry J. Rayford Jr., 43, was booked into Montgomery County Jail today on four counts of rape and four counts of statutory rape, in addition to a worthless check charge.
One victim was 15 and the other was 13 at the time of the incidents in August 2020, according to court records obtained by Clarksville Now.
When reached for comment, the pastor’s wife, Tiana Rayford, said the allegations are false.
“People shouldn’t believe everything that they hear,” she said. “There are three sides to every story. That’s his side, the accusers’ side and God’s side. God is the ultimate judge – the one who is going to bring everything out.”
Investigation and arrest
In August 2021, a year after the alleged incidents and following a criminal investigation, Rayford was indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury on two counts of rape and two counts of statutory rape with each teenager.
In late November, Rayford left Clarksville for Holland, Michigan, where several family members had died, and he was needed to help with their funerals, Tiana Rayford told Clarksville Now. While there, his aunt became seriously ill, and he stayed to take care of her temporarily, she said.
Michigan State Police said today that over the Christmas break, authorities developed a potential location for Rayford’s whereabouts. Officers in Michigan worked with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office to track Rayford down, and on Dec. 22, he was arrested in Holland, Michigan, with assistance from a K-9 unit.
#FugitiveArrest: Fifth District Fugitive Team worked diligently w/deputies from Montgomery County, Tenn. over the holiday break to bring a wanted felon to justice. Larry J Rayford, 43, of Tenn. possessed an 8 count felony warrant for Rape (4 counts) and Aggravated pic.twitter.com/HQin56UTBb
— MSP Fifth District (@MspSouthwestMI) January 7, 2022
Rayford is affiliated with The Ship Ministries at 108 Kraft St. As of Jan. 25, Rayford was still listed on the church’s website as “Overseer/Senior Pastor: Pastor Larry Polo Rayford Jr.”
Tiana Rayford said the ministry still exists, but they have stopped operations until the case is over, and she asked for everyone’s prayers as they go through this situation.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said the Clarksville Police Department assisted with the case. CPD declined to comment.
Rayford has prior criminal charges in Davidson County. In 2007, he was convicted of domestic assault. In 2016, he was charged with child abuse. That case was retired.
This article will be updated.