ZANESVILLE (OH)
Hoodline [San Francisco CA]
May 18, 2026
By Amber Reed
A Zanesville pastor who once taught with a local LifeWise Academy program has admitted to sex-related crimes involving a teenage victim, according to court filings. Christopher Riggs has pleaded guilty to one count of gross sexual imposition and two counts of voyeurism. Court documents say the alleged conduct began when the victim was 14 and continued when the teen was older. Riggs remains free on bond while he waits for a July sentencing hearing.
Court records reviewed by Cleveland.com state that Riggs entered a guilty plea to all three counts. The filings, as summarized in those reports, allege he forced sexual contact between June 1 and Sept. 23, 2023, and that the separate voyeurism allegations stem from incidents in November 2025.
Additional coverage reported by local station WCMH and republished by national partners says court documents identify the victim as someone known to Riggs and note that the relationship did not begin through LifeWise activities. WCMH also reports that Riggs was arrested before entering his plea, then released on a $5,000 bond after passing a drug test, and that he was ordered to have no contact with minors. His sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on July 1 in Muskingum County Common Pleas Court.
LifeWise Says It Is Cooperating
LifeWise has confirmed that Riggs previously worked with its Tri-Valley program and said it does not indicate that any of the alleged conduct took place during its classes. In a public statement, the group said it “has no information indicating that any alleged conduct occurred during LifeWise activities.”
The program, described on the official LifeWise Academy site, offers off-campus Bible classes during the school day for public school students whose parents sign permission forms. It has expanded quickly across Ohio and into other states, prompting a wave of local debates over the released-time religious instruction model and how instructors are screened.
Reporting by NBC News and other outlets has detailed those disputes, and The Columbus Dispatch has covered a 2024 incident in which LifeWise terminated a director after past sexting allegations came to light.
What The Charges Mean Under Ohio Law
Under Ohio law, gross sexual imposition is defined in R.C. 2907.05 and can be charged as a fourth-degree felony in many situations. The state sentencing statute, R.C. 2929.14, lists a maximum prison term of up to 18 months for fourth-degree felonies.
Ohio’s voyeurism law, laid out in R.C. 2907.08, covers a range of conduct and can be charged either as a misdemeanor or a felony. The level depends on factors such as whether a minor was recorded and where the recording took place. News reports say prosecutors accepted Riggs’ guilty plea and will present their sentencing recommendations when the case returns to Muskingum County Common Pleas Court.
Local church listings name Riggs as pastor of Washington Township Baptist Church in Zanesville, and public records show he resigned from his LifeWise role in November 2025. Both law enforcement and LifeWise officials say they are cooperating as the case moves toward the July 1 hearing, when a judge will decide his punishment and any probation or other conditions that may follow.