A former pastor and grade school athletic director has been sentenced in Jefferson County Court to the maximum three years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to a grooming charge.
28-year-old Garrett Biggerstaff of McLeansboro was also fined $10,000 and ordered to make restitution to the victims in the case.
The investigation began by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department in 2022 after Benton Police received a complaint from a juvenile girl about being the victim of sexual exploitation. After a search warrant was executed at Biggerstaff’s home, information reportedly surfaced that led to an alleged second victim. The information was turned over to the Jefferson County State’s Attorney who filed the charges in January.
Biggerstaff formerly served as the pastor of Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church in rural Fairfield and athletic director of the Spring Garden Consolidated Community School District. Biggerstaff was removed from the church and left his position at the school as information about the allegations spread.
