North Texas pastor steps down after sex offender son arrested
Texas pastor steps down after sex offender son arrested
Following the arrest of registered sex offender Caleb Crawford for registration violations, his father, Pastor Eric Crawford, has temporarily stepped down from leadership at Heritage Baptist Church and Heritage Christian Academy pending an internal review.
HASLET, Texas - Fort Worth police have arrested Caleb Crawford, the registered sex offender whose employment at Heritage Christian Academy recently sparked concern among parents.
Following the arrest, Heritage Baptist Chruch announced that his father, Pastor Eric Crawford, is temporarily stepping away from his duties at the church.
Registered sex offender arrested
What we know:
On February 19, 2026, Fort Worth police told FOX 4 that at approximately 12:00 p.m., Caleb was arrested for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements.
Caleb Crawford
Pastor Eric Crawford steps down
Following Caleb’s arrest, Heritage Baptist Church released a new public statement announcing that his father, Pastor Eric Crawford, is temporarily stepping away from his duties.
Pastor Eric Crawford
In the statement, the church said Pastor Eric Crawford, "in full agreement with church leadership and his family," is being temporarily relieved of all ministry responsibilities while the church’s Finance Team conducts a "thorough internal review."
What they're saying:
The statement says the decision was made "collaboratively and voluntarily" to ensure transparency and preserve the integrity of the review process.
During the review, Pastor Eric Crawford will not participate in:
- Preaching
- Teaching
- Administrative oversight
- Any leadership functions within the church, school, or related ministries
Charges and employment history
The backstory:
Records show Caleb was indicted in 2016 on charges of indecency with a child involving sexual conduct involving a 12-year-old girl. He is required to register as a sex offender for life and is listed as a moderate risk level, meaning a moderate risk of reoffending.
There have been no reports of sexual misconduct at Heritage Christian Academy or any known incidents involving Caleb Crawford at the school.
Caleb Crawford had been working at Heritage Baptist Church and its private school as an independent contractor, according to church leadership. The church previously stated he had no responsibility or authority over students and said his employment was terminated.
North Texas parents alert police after discovering sex offender worked at private school
Parents at a Haslet private school are withdrawing their children and demanding leadership changes after discovering the pastor’s son, a registered sex offender, was employed on campus.
Heritage Christian Academy committed to accountability
What's next:
The church says it remains committed to accountability and will provide updates as appropriate, consistent with legal and privacy considerations.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by Fort Worth Police. Additional information was provided by the Facebook page of Heritage Baptist Church of Haslet.