Rocky Goodwin, the lead pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Warren, Arkansas, was found ‘not guilty’ of possessing child sex abuse material (CSAM) a year after a folder of images was found on his computer.
Goodwin, who is 86 years old and received an award in 2022 celebrating 60 years in the ministry, was arrested for “Distributing, Possession, or Viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child,” after a year-long investigation. According to the Kansas City Star:
The investigation began in May 2023 when Microsoft informed officers that a suspected child porn image had been uploaded on a user’s computer into a reverse image search on Bing, according to an affidavit. Two similar images were uploaded months later, authorities said. Investigators learned all three reverse image searches contained child sexual abuse material, investigators said.
Officers executed a search warrant at Goodwin’s home in May 2024, seizing his laptop, according to the complaint. Files on the computer included .zip files with sexual labels, including one labeled with the words “12 year old girl,” authorities said.
While investigators found 71 images in total, Goodwin was found ‘not guilty’ after just an hour of deliberation, following a two-day trial. Goodwin was described by friends and family as a “God-fearing man” with “little to no experience” using computers. His son told reporters, “We knew Dad’s incapability of navigating a laptop, and he just couldn’t do it. We knew that. He’s incapable.”
Throughout the trial, the defense suggested that the files found on his computer resulted from a virus or malware, and that Goodwin’s laptop was hacked. For their part, prosecutors called to the stand investigators from the state’s digital evidence lab, who testified that while some files showed traces of a virus, his computer was not infected.
Following the ‘not guilty’ verdict, EMI shared in a press release:
Magnolia, AR — Evangelistic International Ministries is grateful to announce that Rocky Goodwin has been found innocent on all charges following a two-day jury trial held this past Wednesday and Thursday at the Bradley County Courthouse. After careful deliberation, a jury of his peers unanimously returned a verdict of not guilty on all nine counts related to allegations of possessing and downloading child pornography.
The State was unable to prove that Bro. Rocky was present in his home at the time the alleged offenses occurred. The defense presented compelling evidence that he was traveling out of state on multiple occasions during the relevant timeframe. Additionally, the State acknowledged that the laptop in question was compromised by viruses and malware, which had infected the device through Bro. Rocky’s Wi-Fi modem, casting further doubt on the integrity of the digital evidence.
This verdict brings resolution to a deeply painful season for the Goodwin family and for those who have faithfully stood with them in prayer. The ministry and family extend heartfelt thanks to all who have offered support, encouragement, and intercession throughout this process. With renewed clarity and strength, the Goodwin family looks forward to continuing their work in ministry and service.
Update. A previous article reported that Goodwin, as part of his work with the Evangelistic International Ministries, which he founded, frequently took solo missionary trips to Honduras and Central America, and we questioned how to view these trips in light of the original accusations.
According to Michael Goodwin, the President/Program Director of the Evangelistic International Ministries this is not the case and has never been the case.
Reverend Goodwin never traveled alone on mission trips. Let me emphasize again—he never traveled alone. Every trip conducted through Evangelistic International Ministries (EIM) was coordinated with trusted partners and team members. No one affiliated with EIM would have provided such erroneous information, and we are deeply concerned that this claim was published without verification.
One response to “87-Year-Old Pastor Found ‘Not Guilty’ of Possessing Child Porn After Folder Discovered on Computer”
As a Christian publication, your coverage of Reverend Rocky Goodwin—both in the initial article and the follow-up—has fallen short of the truth and the journalistic integrity your readers expect. In your first article, you concluded the news portion with an editorial remark that was not only speculative but demonstrably false. The suggestion that Rev. Goodwin frequently traveled alone on mission trips was inaccurate and misleading.
More importantly, your commentary cast suspicion on his character before any evidence had been weighed in court. I have sent an email to your editor outlining key facts presented during the trial—facts that clearly demonstrated it was impossible for Rev. Goodwin to have committed such a heinous crime. The jury unanimously agreed, finding him innocent on all counts.
There was a time when the presumption of innocence was a foundational principle, especially within the Christian community. Sadly, that standard seems to have eroded. We urge you to reflect on the impact of premature judgment and to consider the responsibility you bear in shaping public perception.
We ask that you take steps to correct the record and restore the integrity of your reporting. A formal apology would be appropriate and appreciated.