Creation Museum Worship Leader Facing 80 Charges Related To Sex Abuse of Minor

The resident Worship Leader of the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum is facing nearly 80 charges related to the alleged sexual assault of a teenage boy.

Michael Howard, 36, is one of the founding members of TrueSong, a worship collective formed in 2022 and whose Tell Someone album was nominated for the 2024 Inspirational Album of the Year at Dove Awards.

The band held concerts Monday through Friday at the Ark Encounter and on select days at the Creation Museum, along with singing most nights at Answers in Genesis’s 40 Days and 40 Nights of Christian Music—the biggest Christian music festival in the world.

He is also a husband and father of two young daughters, and, along with his duties with AIG, he was the worship leader at Florence Baptist Temple in Burlington, Kentucky.

According to a statement published by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office

On December 27, 2024, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office received a report of sexual abuse. The victim, a minor when the abuse began, reported to detectives that he had been sexually abused and sodomized for many years by an adult male suspect.

The victim identified the suspect as 36-year-old Michael Howard of Burlington and reported that he had started working for him in the Fall of 2019. The following Spring. Howard began sending messages of a sexual nature to the then 15-year-old victim. That same year, the sexual abuse and sodomy began and continued on multiple occasions over the next four (4) years.

In addition to the victim working for Howard, detectives learned that they were members of the same church. Detectives corroborated the victim’s statement after conducting additional interviews and learned that Howard made admissions regarding his “3-4 year” relationship.

Michael Howard was arrested on January 2, 2025, and is charged with Sexual Abuse 1st Degree (40 counts) and Sodomy 3rd Degree (40 counts). He remains lodged at the Boone County Jail and is currently held on a $250,000 bond.

In a statement given to ChurchLeaders, Answers in Genesis said, “While the ministry does not generally comment on personnel matters, we can confirm that Michael Howard is no longer affiliated with Answers in Genesis. In fact, his departure occurred before we became aware of the investigation against him.”