For Immediate Release to Media

Tahira Khan Merritt
February 5, 2015

http://www.tkmlawfirm.com/Contact.shtml

TAHIRA KHAN MERRITT

Professional Limited Liability Company

Attorneys and Counselors

________________________

8499 Greenville Avenue

Suite 206

Dallas, Texas 75231

214-503-7300 - telephone

214-53-7301 - facsimile

www.tkmlawfirm.com

Date: February 5, 2015

Re: Cause No. DC-15-01325, Jane Doe 103 vs. Arapaho Road Baptist Church of Garland, Texas filed in Dallas County District Court.

A lawsuit was filed on February 3rd, 2015 against the Arapaho Road Baptist Church(“ARBC”) located at 2256 Arapaho Road, Garland, Texas. The Church is affiliated with the Dallas Baptist Association, The Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Southern Baptist Convention.

The Plaintiff, now a young adult, identified only as Jane Doe 103, brought this suit for damages resulting from the sexual abuse she suffered as a child by Jordan Keith Earls (“Jordy Earls”), employed by Arapaho Road Baptist Church as a music minister. His brother, Joshua Douglas Earls(“Josh Earls”), was the church’s youth minister.

The victim is represented by Dallas attorney Tahira Khan Merritt, whose civil law practice for over 20 years has been dedicated exclusively to representing victims of sexual abuse and assault. “All the young women who have come forward to confront the Earl brothers and to speak out are truly brave. It takes great courage to have gone through the criminal process, which has taken about two years. My hope is that Arapaho Road Baptist Church will disclose the truth about what they knew of the risks these perpetrators posed and their misconduct and when they knew. This victim deserves the truth.”

The lawsuit alleges that Jordy Earls and Josh Earls ingratiated themselves with the parents of the Church’s youth group and began grooming minor girls, Doe 103 among them, who participated in Youth Group and Youth Choir. Doe 103 was only an 8th grader when she first met the Earls brothers. The first incident of sexual abuse and assault occurred after Sunday school in the youth building on the church premises. The sexual assaults, abuse and exploitation continued weekly, sometimes more than once a week, during the 10th and 11th grade. Her parents, serving as Sunday school teachers, were long-time members of the church.

In 2013, both Josh Earls and Jordan Earls left Arapaho Road Baptist Church, telling the children they had been “called” to other assignments in South Carolina.

However, in early 2013, the family of one of the other girls from the Youth Group at ARBC notified law enforcement that Josh Earls had sexually molested their minor daughter at a pool party in 2012. After a police investigation, Josh Earls was extradited back to Dallas and arrested on Federal charges of making pornographic images and videos involving multiple underage girls from ARBC. At the same time, local police were also investigating Jordy Earls. As part of their investigation, law enforcement contacted Doe 103 and her parents. Consequently, Jordy was also extradited from South Carolina and returned to Dallas where he soon faced similar Federal charges of child pornography and also state charges specifically for the sexual abuse of Doe 103 and of other girls as well.

The lawsuit alleges negligence and gross negligence against the Church. Doe 103 claims the church knew should have known of the pedophilic propensities of both Earl brother. They had solicited several girls to send them nude pictures.

Emboldened, they sent nude pictures of themselves to the girls in violation of state and federal laws. Both Josh and Jordy Earls subsequently pleaded guilty to federal charges of making child pornography.

In February 2014, Josh was sentenced to 12 years in Federal Prison and lifetime registration as a sexual offender. Like his brother, Jordy also pleaded guilty to child pornography. His sentencing is scheduled for February 18,2015 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

See related news stories:

[crimeblog.dallasnews.com]

producing-child-porn.html/

[dallasnews.com]

eld-on-sex-charges-involving-garland-teens-they-met-through-church.ece

Please direct any questions you may have to Ms. Merritt at 214-537-3789