A pastor who runs a ministry in a rumored swingers community for Florida seniors — and ironically wrote a book on how to love your spouse — was arrested Wednesday following allegations that he married multiple women.
Leslie Williams, 62, was taken into custody at the sprawling retirement center, The Villages, on an outstanding warrant out of Georgia tied to a bigamy charge, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
He is currently being held without bond due to his status as an out-of-state fugitive, with legal holds stemming from Rockdale County, Georgia.
“Florida marriage records were obtained and confirmed that Leslie Williams was still lawfully married at the time of the subsequent marriage,” the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital. “Based on these records, a warrant was obtained for Leslie Williams for the charge of bigamy.”
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Concerns were first raised when a complainant reported the alleged bigamy to the Haines City Police Department in Florida, officials said. The case was later transferred to Georgia after records showed Williams’ previous marriage had been certified in Rockdale County.
According to Williams’ Facebook page, the pastor had indicated he had been married for years, dating back to at least 2018, before a recent December post announced a new marriage to a woman named Cindi.
“Thanks for all the wonderful comments referencing my saved, beautiful and talented wife, Mrs. Williams!” he wrote in the post, which featured a photo of the woman as his updated cover image.
One friend, however, reacted to the celebratory news with some skepticism.
“Wow I thought you were already married. Congratulations!!” the commenter wrote.
When another friend asked if the announcement was real, Williams responded, “Yes preacher!!!! THE HAPPIEST MAN on earth!!”
However, activity on his Facebook page suggests the relationship may have turned rocky in the months that followed.
The cover photo featuring his new wife was removed roughly two months later and replaced with an image of a car, according to his account activity.
His relationship status was also changed from “married” to “single.”
Documents show the warrant for his arrest was then issued on April 3 by the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia.
Williams is currently being held for extradition at the Sumter County Detention Center in Florida in accordance with the warrant stipulations.
The arrest came after the pastor had published a 2017 book titled “Love Her Like This: Loving Her Has Never Been Deeper.” According to its summary, the book aimed to foster a “never-failing” love by emphasizing biblical commitments to strengthen marriages.
“In a time where there is a high divorce rate in the church, LHLT shows men [the] depth of Christ’s love for His bride as an example for every man to love his bride with the same strength, sacrifice and commitment,” a cover poster for the book stated.
The 62-year-old also described himself as “an apologist and teacher of the word of God with relevant and timely messages for the body of Christ,” according to his book.
He also runs Leslie Williams Ministries located within The Villages, his website said.
According to the Associated Press, The Villages is one of the largest retirement communities in the world located outside of Orlando, where long-running rumors of swingers, public sexual encounters and unusually high rates of sexually transmitted diseases have surfaced over the years.
