Worship leader, former school board member’s husband faces new sex abuse charges
A former worship leader and husband of a local school board member is facing new charges after being accused of producing images of himself sexually abusing a minor.
Richard Channing “Chan” Shealy, 53, was denied bond on the new charges in a hearing before a Lexington judge on Friday, weeks after he was charged with possession of child sex abuse materials.
The latest charges accuse Shealy of also producing child sex abuse material, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office said in a statement released after the new charges were filed. The release said investigators found additional images on devices seized from Shealy.
“The (Lexington County) Sheriff’s Department made these additional charges after investigators uncovered additional images and information from the devices after a search warrant was conducted at (Shealy’s) home,” the news release says. “The new charges allege that Shealy possessed, distributed, and produced CSAM (child sexual abuse material), including alleged acts of sexual assault on a minor.”
Shealy now faces charges of two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, four counts of committing a lewd act upon a child, 10 counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, and four counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
The most serious charges against Shealy carry a penalty of 10 to 30 years in prison, and additional charges carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison per count.
The Attorney General’s Office initially began an investigation into Shealy based on files shared online, then referred the evidence to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, which made the initial arrest March 26. The Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting the case.
Shealy promoted himself as a Christian singer and speaker on a personal webpage that appears to have since been taken down. He is married to Beth Shealy, who at the time of his arrest was the vice chair of the Lexington 1 school board. She resigned her seat after the arrest, and three candidates are now running to replace her in a June 23 special election.
Lexington 1 school district covers the town of Lexington as well as Gilbert, Pelion, Red Bank and White Knoll.
This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 11:39 AM.
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