BLACKWELL, OK – A local pastor and his wife were apprehended by authorities recently on allegations of child abuse involving at least eight children. Keith and Candy Holt are accused of subjecting the children to severe physical punishment and depriving them of basic necessities.
The Blackwell Police Department was alerted to the situation by the state Department of Human Services, which had concerns about several unattended children. The department also received several calls from individuals expressing concerns about potential abuse occurring within the Holt household.
Despite the authorities’ initial visit to the Holt residence on January 14, the couple refused entry to the officers. When Department of Human Services officers attempted to check on the children the following day, they were met with a similar response.
However, on a subsequent visit, officers were granted access to the home where they discovered sufficient evidence to arrest the couple on suspicion of child abuse. The authorities allege that the children were subjected to beatings with a wooden board, sometimes as many as 40 strikes at a time. The couple is also accused of confining the children in a bathroom for days without food or water as a form of punishment. The children have since been placed into protective custody.
Keith Holt, who identified himself as the lead pastor of the House of Prayer Church, was disavowed by the church in a Facebook post. The church clarified that John and Nellie Jack are the senior pastors and expressed their condemnation of child abuse in any form.
Keith Holt faces charges of child abuse, kidnapping, and child neglect, while Candy Holt is accused of enabling child abuse, kidnapping, and child neglect.