Former Youth Pastor Sentenced for Child Pornography

A former youth pastor from South Carolina has received the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography. Daniel Kellan Mayfield, aged 37, was the youth pastor at First Baptist Church of Gowensville from 2016 until 2023. He entered a guilty plea in December 2024 for having child sexual abuse material. In 2023, he was indicted on multiple counts related to voyeurism and sexual exploitation, including taking unauthorized videos of women and children in the church bathroom.

Mayfield is also facing over 100 charges under state law for voyeurism and sexual abuse across several counties including Greenville and Spartanburg. According to reports, he had approximately 5,344 explicit images on his phone, which came to light when his family found footage of his ex-sister-in-law, Carly Hall, in the shower.

Upon discovering the images, Hall called the police. “I thought I could just delete the video from my phone or wherever it was stored,” she recounted. However, she quickly found more explicit content, which included photos of various women, children, and even a two-month-old baby.

“He had cameras installed in some of the places I stayed,” Hall added. “Whenever I was around him, he would often pull out his cell phone, and I felt like I was being recorded.”

Additionally, Mayfield was known to work as a contract photographer at wedding venues. He admitted to photographing a woman in the shower at his mother’s house in 2023. This revelation added layers to his troubling behavior.

While Mayfield’s ex-wife and some church members indicated he might have been living a double life without their awareness, others pointed to the severity of his actions. Al Phillips, who claimed Mayfield had harmed his grandchildren, stated he found the sentence just. “I’m a Christian and I can forgive, but that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be consequences for what he did,” Phillips mentioned, emphasizing the need for accountability.

He noted that Mayfield’s behavior had deeply affected the innocence and trust of his grandchildren.