- December 4, 2025
Ormond Beach Police have opened an investigation into Riverbend Academy and Riverbend Community Church after sexual allegations, some dating as far back as the early 2000s, recently came to light.
OBPD announced on Tuesday that an investigation was opened on Aug. 18 by its Criminal Investigation Unit on the church located at 2080 W. Granada Blvd. Detectives are seeking to speak with anyone who may have information or believes they may have been a victim.
“Please remember this is an active and ongoing investigation,” Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey said. “We take these allegations very seriously and are committed to supporting potential victims and protecting this community, all while conducting a thorough and impartial investigation.”
An open letter dated Monday, Aug. 25, to the victims from the Riverbend Survivors Coalition was submitted to the Observer.
"For too long, Riverbend taught us to keep quiet," the letter states. "They told us silence was holy, that obedience was survival. But silence only protected those who harmed us — never the children, never the truth, never the brokenhearted."
The letter goes on to request victims come forward, saying they will be surrounded by other survivors.
The Elders of Riverbend Community Church published a public statement on the church's Facebook page on Aug. 22, stating they had not been aware of the allegations and are "brokenhearted to learn about egregious sin in our church's past."
"We as elders, and we as a church, are deeply saddened and grieve for all who have been abused in any way," the elders stated. "We condemn abuse, and we stand against any actions to cover up or conceal sin. We desire to humbly listen to anyone who would like to speak with us.
"We desire to know the truth and set things right," the statement continues. "We continue to pray for those who have suffered abuse. We are committed to keeping all in our ministry safe from abuse. We believe that the church above all should be a people who clearly demonstrate Christlikeness in every way. We acknowledge that the things we are learning do not reflect Christ. We condemn them with deep conviction. These things are all very new to us, and we are humbly committed to truth, safety, transparency, and justice as we work through this."
On Aug. 21, a letter was published on the media platform Substack which shared anonymous accounts of the abuse victims say took place at Riverbend by church members in positions of authority. This letter, published anonymously, states that 63 women within the Riverbend community were surveyed. In the survey, almost 30% of the women reported they had been manipulated or coerced into sexual behavior by an adult male church member or youth leader when they were minors.
Over one third alleged they felt like they received romantic or sexual attention from an adult man at the church when they were minors.
Among the stories shared in the letter is one about a woman who, at age 16, was sexually assaulted by a member of the church six years older than her; another who at age 17 says a youth leader groomed her into a sexual relationship; and a woman who at 15 who said she was manipulated into a physical relationship with a 26-year-old church member.
"We want to be clear: this is not an attempt to destroy the church," the Substack letter states. "Some have even chosen not to name specific individuals, fully aware of the personal and social consequences that can follow. We also recognize that harmful behaviors often stem from systems that normalize and enable them, especially young men raised in these environments.
"Our compassion, though, is not incompatible with accountability," the letter continues. "It is because we care about the truth, about future generations of girls and boys, and about the integrity of the church that we are speaking out. Our hope is not to tear down but to help rebuild on a foundation that prioritizes safety, humility, transparency, and justice."
In 2021, a former elder at Riverbend Community Church was arrested on child pornography charges. The elder, John Robert Griffin II, was relieved of his duties when the church discovered the allegations. He had been a "non-staff, non-vocational" elder of the church, Riverbend told the Observer in 2021. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
