Reagan Gray, a 26-year-old teacher from Little Rock, Arkansas, faces sexual assault charges involving a 15-year-old student from the youth group at Immanuel Baptist Church.

The alleged incidents occurred in 2020 and 2021, during Gray’s tenure as a teacher at Little Rock Christian Academy and a volunteer in the church’s student and music ministries.

According to Church Leaders, the victim was not a student at the academy but met Gray through the church’s youth programs.

The case surfaced when the teen’s parents discovered inappropriate text messages between their child and Gray in 2020.

After confronting Gray and instructing her to cease contact, the parents reported the issue to Dr. Steven Smith, then-pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church.

According to an arrest affidavit, Smith questioned Gray, who claimed the relationship was not physical.

Gray was temporarily removed from her volunteer role and directed to seek counseling but was later reinstated. Authorities were not informed at the time.

In a 2024 interview, Smith revealed that Gray admitted during a 2023 counseling session that her relationship with the teen was sexual and that she continued contacting the teen via Snapchat after the initial parental confrontation.

Gray’s arrest follows a broader controversy at Immanuel Baptist Church, where former assistant children’s ministry director Patrick Stephen Miller was convicted of assaulting two young girls.

Dr. Smith resigned as pastor in March 2024, months after disclosing Miller’s conviction to the congregation.