AMARILLO (TX)
Mark Wingfield Substack [Jacksonville FL]
March 6, 2026
By Mark Wingfield
Friday Roundup
Last night I was chatting with a friend who grew up in Amarillo, Texas. In a matter of minutes, he rattled off stories of three well-known child sexual abuse cases that were exposed during his growing up years in the Texas Panhandle town. All were so well-known that they were written up in Texas Monthly and other publications.
One involved a millionaire who was a known abuser of teenage boys. Another involved a doctor who took liberties with boys in his care. The third involved a millionaire civic leader who allegedly lured teenagers with drugs and alcohol.
In every case, local residents were shocked to learn the accusations against people they knew and revered. The stories were unbelievable. Yet they were true.
Hearing these accounts made me think of the years of whispering about Paul Pressler and his predilection for nude hot tub time with boys at his ranch. (Why are there always hot tubs in these stories?)
But it also made me think about the current trouble Americans are having believing the Epstein Files. The stories of child sexual abuse surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and the cavalcade of high-profile figures are so outrageous as to be unbelievable.
And yet, the more we learn, the clearer it becomes this is not just smoke but fire. Unbelievable fire.
We should not be surprised that the same people who have denied clergy sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention are the base of support for our president, who is a known sexual abuser. Once again, they just can’t be bothered with information that is too uncomfortable for them to acknowledge.
Earlier this week, I watched a TV news report where a female survivor of Epstein’s abuse said she is attempting to speak with elected officials on Capitol Hill to tell her story. And most Republican legislators, she said, will not see her. They do not want to know her story. Because if they heard it, they would have to do something.
Once again, the sins of the church have become the sins of the state.
Another example is the horrific child sexual abuse that happened at Kamp Kanakuk in Missouri. We at BNG have reported extensively on this. It is documented. It is real. It is undeniable. And yet the owners and leaders of this “Christian” camp have not been held accountable for their negligence, have not been removed from leadership. And evangelical parents continue to send their children to a camp run by unrepentant enablers of child sexual abuse.
Why does any parent send a kid to Kanakuk? Because they cannot face the facts, which are too terrible to imagine being true.
“If evangelicals cared as much about preventing child sexual abuse as they do about preventing abortions, things would change.”
If evangelicals cared as much about preventing child sexual abuse as they do about preventing abortions, things would change.
Mallory Challis has — almost accidentally — become our staff reporter on child sexual abuse cases. This week, she has an update on the lawsuit filed by a Kanakuk survivor against the camp leadership, whom he says withheld information about known abuse.
She also brought us news of an effort in Georgia to expand sexual abuse protections to cover those abused by clergy. While writing today, I received a text message from a friend in Georgia reporting the state Senate had just passed that bill on a 55-0 vote. He included a message from one of the survivors who testified in favor of the bill: “If it were not for journalists willing to shine light into dark places, meaningful change would never have begun in my case.”
This survivor added: “Your reporting did more than tell a story. It helped create accountability and opened the door for reform. I remain deeply grateful for the integrity and care you brought to covering this issue.”
Back to my friend from Amarillo. One of the high-profile cases he witnessed was a physician who was systematically abusing boys in his care. When just one boy came forward and told his story, others soon came forward in their own #MeToo movement.
We keep telling the stories of sexual abuse because someone must give voice to the victims. And we believe that even one voice can break the dam of silence that allows “good Christian people” to act like nothing is wrong.