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A pastor who leads a ministry in a Florida community known for its swinger lifestyle among seniors was arrested on Wednesday amid accusations of marrying multiple women. This incident is particularly notable because the pastor had authored a book on strengthening marital relationships.
Leslie Williams, aged 62, was apprehended at The Villages, a vast retirement complex, following an outstanding warrant from Georgia on charges of bigamy, as reported by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
Williams is currently detained without bond due to his status as a fugitive from another state, with legal proceedings pending in Rockdale County, Georgia.
“Florida marriage records were reviewed and confirmed that Leslie Williams was still legally married when he entered into a subsequent marriage,” stated the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office to Fox News Digital. “These findings led to the issuance of an arrest warrant for Leslie Williams on a charge of bigamy.”
A photo shows Leslie Williams taking a selfie while riding a golf cart. (Credit: Leslie Williams/Facebook)
Concerns were first raised when a complainant reported the alleged bigamy to the Haines City Police Department in Florida, officials said. The case was later transferred to Georgia after records showed Williams’ previous marriage had been certified in Rockdale County.
According to Williams’ Facebook page, the pastor had indicated he had been married for years, dating back to at least 2018, before a recent December post announced a new marriage to a woman named Cindi.
“Thanks for all the wonderful comments referencing my saved, beautiful and talented wife, Mrs. Williams!” he wrote in the post, which featured a photo of the woman as his updated cover image.
One friend, however, reacted to the celebratory news with some skepticism.
“Wow I thought you were already married. Congratulations!!” the commenter wrote.
A mugshot displays 62-year-old Florida pastor and marriage advice author Leslie Williams. (Sumter County Sheriff’s Office)
When another friend asked if the announcement was real, Williams responded, “Yes preacher!!!! THE HAPPIEST MAN on earth!!”
However, activity on his Facebook page suggests the relationship may have turned rocky in the months that followed.
The cover photo featuring his new wife was removed roughly two months later and replaced with an image of a car, according to his account activity.
His relationship status was also changed from “married” to “single.”
Documents show the warrant for his arrest was then issued on April 3 by the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia.
Williams is currently being held for extradition at the Sumter County Detention Center in Florida in accordance with the warrant stipulations.
Residents dance in the square of the Villages retirement community outside of Orlando, Florida, on October 4, 2016. (RHONA WISE/AFP via Getty Images)
The arrest came after the pastor had published a 2017 book titled “Love Her Like This: Loving Her Has Never Been Deeper.” According to its summary, the book aimed to foster a “never-failing” love by emphasizing biblical commitments to strengthen marriages.
“In a time where there is a high divorce rate in the church, LHLT shows men [the] depth of Christ’s love for His bride as an example for every man to love his bride with the same strength, sacrifice and commitment,” a cover poster for the book stated.
The 62-year-old also described himself as “an apologist and teacher of the word of God with relevant and timely messages for the body of Christ,” according to his book.
He also runs Leslie Williams Ministries located within The Villages, his website said.
According to the Associated Press, The Villages is one of the largest retirement communities in the world located outside of Orlando, where long-running rumors of swingers, public sexual encounters and unusually high rates of sexually transmitted diseases have surfaced over the years.