Youth pastor Daniel Mayfield secretly filmed girls: Deputies

Sep 07, 2023

Youth pastor Daniel Kellan Mayfield filmed girls in a church bathroom, deputies said. (Mugshot: Greenville County Sheriff's Office)

A youth pastor is in jail and out of a job after he allegedly filmed girls in his church's bathroom. Deputies in Greenville County, South Carolina, said their Greenwood County counterparts gave them information following that office's separate investigation which lead to warrants and the arrest of Daniel Kellan Mayfield, 35, for charges including five counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and a count of voyeurism.

"During the course of the Greenville County Sheriff's Office investigation, investigators discovered Mayfield had unlawfully filmed multiple girls, as young as 14 years-old, while in the bathroom of Gowensville Baptist Church located at 5650 SC-14 Landrum, SC," authorities wrote in a press statement.

Mayfield issued an alleged confession to deputies, according to the affidavit.

Deputies said they identified six victims so far, but the investigation is ongoing and they are working on identifying other potential victims through seized evidence.

"Investigators have learned Mayfield set up and recorded video inside the women's restroom inside the church on at least three occasions, dating back to July 2022," authorities said. "Investigators do believe Daniel Mayfield acted alone and do not have reason to believe anyone from the church had knowledge of the unlawful activity and will add has been completely cooperative with GCSO's investigation."

The Gowensville Baptist Church said they fired Mayfield.

"On May 27th, 2023, First Baptist Gowensville leadership was made aware of an incident of moral misconduct perpetrated by one of our staff members," the church posted on its front page. "Proper authorities were notified immediately and the employee was terminated from his role. Due to the nature of the investigation, FBC Gowensville refers all questions to the law enforcement authorities involved. We remain dedicated to providing a safe worship environment and will be ever vigilant in protecting all persons involved in any of our events."

Greenville County deputies said Mayfield was arrested in the Spartanburg County community of Boiling Springs. Online records show Mayfield remains locked up at the Greenville County Detention Center. A judge has yet to set a bond.

Captain Josh Hood, the public information office for the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office, told Law&Crime that they had arrested Mayfield for a similar case, though this time it involved an adult victim.

The redacted affidavit, which is dated May 27, stated that the defendant recorded video of a woman while she was showering, but she caught him in the act.

"Oh sh*t," Mayfield allegedly said in the footage before turning it off.

He later received his Miranda warning from law enforcement and confessed to recording her, documents stated.

More Law&Crime coverage: Florida youth pastor and 6th grade public school teacher arrested after allegedly using church Wi-Fi to download child porn

Note: We added information about the Greenwood County case.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]