Joseph Lyle Campbell, a 67-year-old Pentecostal preacher, has been accused by multiple women of sexually abusing them as children during the 1970s and 1980s.

An NBC News investigation revealed a troubling pattern of ignored allegations and institutional failures spanning decades, allowing Campbell to continue his ministry despite serious accusations.

Five women have come forward to NBC News, claiming that Campbell sexually assaulted them when they were children.

Among them is Cheryl Almond, who alleges that Campbell lured her to his home as a teenager, pushed her onto a bed, and penetrated her with his finger.

“Joe Campbell needs to be in jail,” Almond stated, expressing hope that a judge will one day hold him accountable.

The women describe traumatic memories of inappropriate touching in settings like a church nursery and Campbell’s secluded children’s camp, often accompanied by terrifying stories about demons and promises of protection.

Campbell, who built a national following with sermons on sin and salvation, has faced accusations of child sexual abuse repeatedly throughout his career.

Despite these claims, he continued to evangelize across the South and Midwest, leveraging his charismatic persona and claims of divine anointment to maintain influence.

The NBC News investigation uncovered a series of missed opportunities to address the allegations against Campbell.

As early as 1983, congregants reported sexual misconduct when Campbell was a rising figure in the Assemblies of God, the world’s largest Pentecostal denomination.

However, Campbell denied the allegations, and no significant action was taken, allowing him to remain in ministry.

In Webster County, allegations against Campbell became an open secret among law enforcement.

Two sheriff’s deputies, Susie Dodson and John Everett, attempted to investigate Campbell around 2000 and 2010, respectively.

Dodson, a former chief deputy, spent a year looking into Campbell after a community tip but found no new victims willing to come forward.

Everett noted Campbell’s habit of supporting individuals charged with sex crimes and learned of registered sex offenders attending his church. Despite their efforts, no charges were filed due to a lack of new evidence.

Survivors reported the abuse to various authorities starting in the 1980s, including pastors, local police, prosecutors, child welfare workers, and federal law enforcement.

At every turn, their claims were met with dismissal or inaction. Kerri Jackson, one of the accusers, testified before the Assemblies of God in Springfield, Missouri, but was discredited by ministers who questioned her inability to describe specific details of Campbell’s anatomy, leading to no disciplinary action.

This experience, coupled with blame from the church community, drove Jackson to contemplate suicide at ages 16 and in her 30s.

The Wartburg Watch, a blog focused on church abuse, reported three additional victims—Kerri, Kim, and Sarah—who accused Campbell and his wife, Becky, of sexual abuse.

One woman recounted Campbell making inappropriate comments about her body and exposing her to violent pornography at a young age, which she said led to significant counseling expenses.

She noted being taught to never say “no” to adults, a factor that silenced her as a child.

Another accuser, who worked as a receptionist for Campbell at Jimmy Swaggart Bible College in the 1980s, reported that he made sexual comments and flirted openly with staff. After reporting this to college authorities, Campbell was fired, but he soon resumed pastoring elsewhere.

The Assemblies of God stated that Campbell was no longer under their jurisdiction after he joined a new church, limiting their ability to act. This jurisdictional loophole allowed Campbell to continue his ministry, including running a camp purportedly aimed at helping women and children.

The women accusing Campbell have united in their pursuit of justice, determined to see him held accountable.

Their efforts have been bolstered by recent developments in similar cases, such as the indictment of Robert Morris, a Texas megachurch pastor, for child sexual abuse in Oklahoma.

The survivors hope that legal precedents set in such cases could apply to their situation.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who prosecuted the Morris case, has expressed support for eliminating the statute of limitations in rape cases and encouraged victims to come forward.

“If you are a victim of child abuse… contact me. Let’s not assume that we cannot bring your offender to justice,” Drummond said. This offers a glimmer of hope for Campbell’s accusers, though the decades-old nature of the allegations poses legal challenges.