Louie George

Introduction

Louie George (also known as Louie Ben George II) is an 87-year-old pastor from Wake Village, Texas, who served for many years as pastor of Oak Street Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. On Wednesday, September 9, 2026, he was arrested by the Texarkana Texas Police Department and booked into the Bi-State Jail on a charge of sexual assault of a child. According to police, the alleged victim attended the church as a young child in the 1990s, when George held the same pastoral role he was still holding at the time of his arrest. The case remains an active and ongoing investigation, and the charge against George has not been tested in court. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, and a criminal charge is not a conviction.

Background Information

George spent decades in public-facing roles in the Texarkana area. He served as pastor of Oak Street Baptist Church for many years and was the church’s pastor in the 1990s, when the reported victim in the case was a child attending the church. His standing in the community extended beyond the pulpit: according to a previous Texarkana Gazette article, he worked for 23 years as a principal at a Texarkana Texas Independent School District elementary school, and in 2019 he received a lifetime achievement award from the NAACP. He was also publicly identified with the Oak Street congregation through the church’s social media presence, where he was listed as pastor. By the time of his arrest, that long tenure had made him a familiar figure in local religious life.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Allegations. The claims in this section are allegations from the Texarkana Texas Police Department and charging documents, which reported substantiating them through the arrest. They were never admitted by George and have not been adjudicated in court; he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

On Wednesday, September 9, 2026, the Texarkana Texas Police Department arrested Louie George following an investigation into allegations of child sexual assault, and he was booked into the Bi-State Jail on a charge of Sexual Assault of a Child. The allegation centers on the 1990s: investigators say George was serving as pastor of Oak Street Baptist Church during that decade, when the reported victim was a young child attending the church, and that he remained in the same role at the time of his arrest. Because the case involves allegations of child sexual assault and remains an active investigation, police said they are limited in how much information they can release publicly. The charge of sexual assault of a child is a second-degree felony in Texas, punishable by two to 20 years in prison. The allegation has not been admitted by George and has not been adjudicated in court.

Public Reaction and Consequences

News of the arrest spread quickly through the ArkLaTex region, with KTBS, the Texarkana Gazette, and other local outlets reporting the charge against a pastor whose name had been tied to community service awards and decades of ministry. The most consequential development came from the investigation itself: since it began, Texarkana Texas Police detectives have identified at least two additional suspected victims, and authorities believe George’s long tenure at the church means there may be other alleged victims who have not yet come forward. “Because George has been a pastor at this church for so many years, we’re concerned there could be other victims out there who haven’t come forward yet. We want to hear from you if you have information that could be relevant to this investigation,” a police news release stated.

Detectives urged anyone with information, or anyone who believes they may have been a victim, to contact Detective Tabitha Smith at 903-798-3116. For George personally, the immediate consequence was the loss of his liberty: bail was set at $500,000, and he remained in the Bi-State Jail.

Current Status

As of the most recent reports on September 11, 2026, George remained in custody at the Bi-State Jail while the investigation continued, with his bond set at $500,000. The Texarkana Texas Police Department has described the case as an active investigation, and detectives are continuing to ask potential victims and witnesses to come forward. No trial date, plea, or adjudication has been reported, and nothing in the public record to date indicates that the charge has been resolved. George is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, and the allegations against him remain just that — allegations — until a court rules otherwise.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The arrest effectively ended George’s long-running pastorate at Oak Street Baptist Church, at least for the duration of his detention: an 87-year-old man held on $500,000 bail cannot continue the pulpit duties he had performed for many years, and his name is no longer associated with the church’s public-facing ministry as it was before September 2026. The allegations have also recast a long biography of community standing. George had spent 23 years as an elementary school principal in the Texarkana Texas Independent School District and received a lifetime achievement award from the NAACP in 2019 — a record that news coverage of the arrest now sits alongside the criminal charge. Investigators’ concern that additional victims may exist, based on his decades at the church, means the case could widen beyond the current charge, and police have publicly asked anyone with relevant information to contact them. At the same time, George has been convicted of nothing: the outcome of the case, and the ultimate effect on his life and legacy, will depend on proceedings that had not yet taken place as of the latest reports, and he remains in custody as the investigation continues.