Baker refuted the claim that he told Spires not to go to the authorities. “I have turned in probably more people with my job in what I do to the authorities than just about anyone,” he said.
Spires did contact police, and Lovett was convicted in 2004 of sexual battery and aggravated sexual battery. He remains on the Tennessee sex offender registry.
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A 2003 police report indicated that Lovett had confessed to Baker. The allegation came that Mr. Lovett touched [Spires] outside of her clothes, and I asked him what happened and he verified exactly what she told me,” the pastor said. “When I asked her what she wanted me to do, she said nothing, just have [Lovett] not come around me. At the time, I did not think that was something that needed to be reported because the allegation was [touching] outside of clothes.”
ChurchLeaders emailed Family Baptist for comment. No one answered the church’s phone, and the phone mailbox is full.
Correction: A previous version of this article said that Baker was originally from New Mexico. Baker was raised in Santa Fe, Tennessee.
