The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office reports that a former pastor, who is already facing several charges involving a juvenile, now faces additional sex crime charges after another person came forward.
Authorities served 54-year-old Somerset resident Scott C. Hughes with a fresh arrest warrant on Thursday at the Pulaski County Detention Center. He has been held there on a $75,000 bond since his initial arrest on Oct. 1.
Sheriff Bobby Jones explained that detectives filed the latest charges after speaking with an adult male on Oct. 7. The man stated that Hughes began sexually abusing him when he was roughly 10 years old.
The man shared with investigators that the abuse continued over several years, with multiple incidents taking place in Pulaski County.
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Following these statements, officials charged Hughes with first-degree sodomy, second-degree sodomy involving a person in a position of authority, first-degree sexual abuse, human trafficking involving commercial sexual activity with a minor under 18, and incest with a person under 18 by an individual at least three years older.
These latest counts come directly from an active inquiry by the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division.
Detective Jay Picard from the Crimes Against Children unit originally led the investigation that resulted in Hughes’ first arrest on Oct. 1.
Law enforcement noted that the initial case centered on reports of sexual offenses starting in Pulaski County back in 2018. During that first arrest, detectives charged Hughes with first-degree sexual abuse, second-degree sodomy, third-degree sodomy, and incest involving a minor under 18 by someone three or more years older.
After taking Hughes into custody, detectives kept interviewing individuals and collecting evidence.
Earlier this week, investigators revealed that another adult had come forward reporting that Hughes sexually abused them as a minor outside of Pulaski County. The sheriff’s office passed those specific claims to the appropriate local law enforcement agency.
Hughes previously ministered as the pastor at Eubank Baptist Church and also worked with First Baptist Bronston.
This investigation remains ongoing. The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone holding information about Hughes or similar allegations to reach out directly.
Hughes currently faces these charges without a conviction. The law presumes all defendants innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.