Russell Tusing, lead pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of LaGrange, Georgia, was arrested for child molestation on March 15. He remains in jail and unable to make bond given the nature of his crimes. He is a danger.
Troup County Jail
After his arrest, the LaGrange Police Department continued to build their case for the Troup County District Attorney’s Office. Upon review of the evidence, District Attorney John Herbert Cranford, Jr. determined the case warranted a hearing before the Troup County Grand Jury.
The following witnesses testified against Tusing at the hearing.
- Officer David Horseman, LaGrange Police Department
- Kenneth Belcher, LaGrange Police Department
- Olivia Tusing [daughter]
- Elise Tusing [daughter]
- Brittany Koone, Troup County 911
Horseman is the lead detective and prosecuting officer in the case. I have sent him evidence and information. Belcher assisted him.
Olivia was 13 when molested by her father. Elise, her younger sister, was seven. The two daughters were the key witnesses against him. There is no mention of Russell’s wife, Sarah.
The LaGrange Daily News reported the following.
“According to LaGrange Police Public Information Officer Lt. Chris Pritchett, the charges stem back to a report made in February [2024] with allegations dating back to 2022 in regard to a 13-year-old female victim.” (Mar. 18, 2024)
It appears the “allegations” were made by Olivia when she called Brittany Koone at Troup County 911. The molestation occurred on or about June 5, 2022 according to the indictment. That is when the call to 911 may have been made.
Twenty months later (Feb. 24, 2024), a report was filed with the LaGrange Police Department. Three weeks later (Mar. 15), they arrested Tusing.
The Troup County Grand Jury was comprised of 17 citizens. They heard the evidence against Tusing and handed down an indictment on May 6 charging and accusing him of child molestation. See the complete indictment here.
Troup County Courthouse
He will be arraigned on July 12. That is when Superior Court Judge Markette Baker will formally read the charges against him to him.
At that time, Tusing will plead guilty or not guilty. If he pleads not guilty, a trial date will be set which usually follows a month or two later.
INDICTMENT
COUNT 1
The Grand Jury aforesaid, in the name and behalf of the Citizens of the State of Georgia charge and accuse RUSSELL JON TUSING, II with the offense of Child Molestation (O.C.G.A. 16-6-4(a)) in that the said accused, in the State of Georgia and in the County of Troup, on or about the 5th day of June, 2022, the exact date being unknown to the grand jurors, did commit an immoral and indecent act to Olivia Tusing, a child under the age of 16 years, with the intent to arouse and satisfy sexual desires of himself by placing his hands inside the shorts of said child and rubbing the outer vaginal area of the said child, and contrary to the laws of the State of Georgia, the good order, peace and dignity thereof.
JOHN HERBERT CRANFORD, JR.
District Attorney
COWETA JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
Child molestation is a serious felony. If found guilty by twelve jurors, he will be punished and sentenced to prison for at least five years, and up to 20 years, with no option for parole.
A person commits the offense of child molestation when such person:
Does any immoral or indecent act to or in the presence of or with any child under the age of 16 years with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or the person. …
A person convicted of a first offense of child molestation shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than five nor more than 20 years.
Russell Tusing is a wretched “lover of self” (2 Tim. 3:2) and “lover of pleasure” (2 Tim. 3:4) who does not fear God. He didn’t care about his daughter. He only cared about arousing and satisfying his sexual desires. He would have continued to groom and molest her if she had not taken action to stop him.
If the case goes to trial, Tusing will be called to the stand and swear an oath to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth, so help him God. Then he will claim innocence and accuse his daughter of lying or misinterpreting his actions. I’ve seen it before in other cases. Sexual predators have no shame and they are prolific liars.
When arraigned on July 12, Tusing ought to plead guilty but he will wait until just before the trial begins. That is what Vince Sievert did. He was Tusing’s friend, deacon in the church, and fellow child molester. Instead of life in prison, he pled guilty the day of his trial, and got a reduced sentence of 20 years.
The District Attorney’s Office would prefer not to put Olivia and Elise on the stand. Tusing knows this and will use it to his advantage. Therefore, I think he will plead guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence (e.g. the five year minimum).
Sarah Tusing has filed for divorce, got sole custody of the girls, and a restraining order given his history of violence. In fact, she first got a Standing Order against him ten years ago in 2014. It read in part,
“From doing or attempting to do or threatening to do any act which injures, maltreats, vilifies, molests, harasses or which may, upon judicial determination, constitute threats, harassment, or stalking the adverse party or the child or children of the parties or any act which constitutes a violation of other civil or criminal laws of this state.”
This was a matter of public record. At the same time, Mark Prater, the executive director for Sovereign Grace Churches, announced the adoption of the church. Yet he and Keith Collins, the regional leader, knew about the Tusing’s disqualifying marriage “after much prayer, discussion, and assessment.”
The adoption was announced in September 2014. This is when scores of churches were leaving SGC over the obstinance of C.J. Mahaney and the conspiracy to commit and cover up the sexual abuse of children. They were desperate to add a church that should never have been added to their number.
Mahaney, Prater, Collins, et al., claim to “pay close attention” to their lives (1 Tim 4:16) but they don’t! Not with Russell Tusing. Not with Vince Seifert, a convicted child molester. Not with a host of other pastors and leaders. They won’t even allow an independent investigation of the innumerable charges against them though countless pastors and leaders across the nation have called for it.
They are playing close attention, but only to how to hide and conceal their transgressions. They teach one thing and live another. They are hypocrites.
Welcome to the Family, Sovereign Grace Church of LaGrange
September 24, 2014 by Mark Prater
I am deeply honored to announce that Sovereign Grace Church of LaGrange, Georgia is now part of Sovereign Grace Churches!
They have pursued a relationship and affiliation with Sovereign Grace for the past several years. After much prayer, discussion, and assessment, the Southeast Region voted unanimously to adopt Sovereign Grace Church of LaGrange a couple of weeks ago.
I’m so glad Russell, his pastoral team, and their church are now a part of the Sovereign Grace family. Please join me in thanking God for this new partnership, and pray that much gospel fruit will be produced through our labors together.
The website to Sovereign Grace Church of LaGrange has been taken down. It used to say in part.
“We are gladly committed to the safety and well-being of our children. To be sure, we are charged from God’s Word to value, treasure and protect children (Matt. 18:6; 19:14; Eph. 6:4; 1 Tim. 5:8; ). And this is a charge we take very seriously.”
I’ve never seen a church take the abuse of children less seriously. Or adultery, divorce, and the reporting of crimes to law enforcement.
Their website has been permanently closed and their Facebook page shut down.
Yet the church is still listed on the Sovereign Grace denominational website. It should have been removed by now.
Mark Prater, Keith Collins, and the Global Leadership Team still aren’t paying attention. The church needs to close. It is a horrible reproach. None of the current leaders are qualified.
See my previous articles in support of that statement.
[Update: SGC-LaGrange was removed from the SGC list of churches on June 8 without public explanation.]
Russell Tusing, Lead Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in LaGrange, GA, Arrested for Sexual Battery & Child Molestation
Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 5:32PM
Russell Tusing Is Another in Long Line of Sexually Perverse Leaders in Sovereign Grace Churches. Sarah Tusing Gets Protective Order & Files for Divorce.
Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 11:47PM
Convicted Child Molester Vince Sievert Allowed to Serve as Deacon by Russell Tusing, Mark Prater, & Keith Collins. Predictably His Abuse of Children Continued.
Saturday, April 20, 2024 at 6:21PM
The Sexual Abuse of Children by Leaders in Sovereign Grace Churches Continues
Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 5:57PM