FOLSOM (LA)
Muddy River News [Quincy IL]
July 13, 2026
By Michele McCormack, MRN Executive Editor
David Mercer, 72, was arrested in Louisiana on Friday
A second church official has now confirmed that the sex abuse charges filed against youth pastor David Mercer are not related to his time serving in the same capacity at 5th Street Baptist Church in Hannibal between 1998 and 2000.
“David Mercer was taken into custody on Friday, July 10, 2026, for multiple criminal charges in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, during his time as a youth pastor at a church in Bossier Parish. These charges stem from his time at a church in the 1990s,” Pastor Will Robbins of the First Baptist Church in Folsom, Louisiana, said.
Mercer was a youth pastor at the Folsom church from 2023 to 2026. His Facebook page says he retired.
As Muddy River News first reported over the weekend, Pastor Tom Carpenter of 5th Street Baptist Church, 111 N. 5th Street, confirms that Mercer was once with the Hannibal congregation, but that the allegations don’t appear to be coming from Hannibal.
“We’re going to be looking at our church records to see if there were any issues,” Carpenter said. “What we do know is that there were no accusations, according to our church clerk.”
Still, several of the people, although they were not abused by Mercer, who had contact with him as teenagers during his time running youth activities in Hannibal, are looking back with a more sinister gaze.
“The general consensus is we can now look back and see some grooming-like behaviors,” former church member Cary Perrin said. “In the 90s, we didn’t have much of a concept of that. He had opportunities to violate us guys. But he never touched me, or no one I was close to.”
“Do I remember Dave? Yes, of course! He was my youth pastor through all of high school,” Lacey Blue said. “He took us on trips to Colorado and Florida and a special Y2K event in St. Louis. This is so crazy. He absolutely has access to kids all the time.”
The Folsom Church owned a property that was searched recently as part of the investigation into Mercer.
There is no known local law enforcement activity.
“While we have background checks and child safety training for all our workers, we are currently reviewing our hiring and child protection policies,” Folsom Pastor Williams said. “Please, contact the Criminal Investigations Division of St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office at (98) 726-7854 if anyone has allegations against David Mercer.
“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us. Psalm 67:1,” the pastor concluded.
A spokesperson for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office says it does not currently have any open investigations involving David Mercer, but is ready to assist if requested to track down any investigative leads within its jurisdiction.
Bosier Sheriff’s Statement
Detectives with the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office have arrested a Folsom, Louisiana man following an investigation into multiple sex offenses involving minors that allegedly occurred in Bossier Parish between 1989 and 1995.
On June 29, 2026, detectives began investigating allegations involving, at this time, 4 juvenile victims. During the course of the investigation, detectives identified David Mercer, 72, of Folsom, Louisiana, as the suspect. Investigators confirmed that Mercer lived and worked in Bossier Parish during the time the offenses were alleged to have occurred. Mercer was employed as a Youth-Minister at Cypress Baptist Church of Benton, but resigned from that position in 1995.
On July 10, 2026, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives traveled to Folsom, Louisiana, where Mercer was taken into custody without incident with assistance from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. At the time of his arrest, detectives executed a search warrant at Mercer’s residence in Folsom. Mercer was employed as a youth pastor at a local church in Folsom at the time of his arrest.
Mercer was transported to the Bossier Parish Maximum Security Facility on July 11, 2026, where he was booked in on 90 counts of 14:81.2| Forceable Fondling Molestation of a Juvenile, involving 4 victims. His bond has been set at $2.5 million.
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges and victims are expected.
“Although nearly 40 years have passed, the passage of time does not lessen the seriousness of these crimes or the impact they have had on those affected,” Sheriff Julian Whittington stated. “I want to encourage anyone who may have been a victim or witnessed these actions to come forward and contact the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office. We are committed to thoroughly investigating these allegations and seeking justice for those who may have been impacted.”
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Mr. Mercer, or who has information relevant to this investigation, is encouraged to contact the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office Detectives at (318) 965-3418.
The Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office for their assistance during this investigation.