Ex-Lubbock youth pastor accused of sexually assaulting children wants lower bond

LUBBOCK, Texas — A former “Student Pastor” at a Lubbock church who was accused of Sexual Assault of a Child, Luke Cunningham, 41, had a court appearance to ask for a lower bond Monday. A detective at the hearing said Cunningham had allegations going back to 2013.

Cunningham, who was a youth pastor at Turning Point in Lubbock from 2016 to 2020, most recently worked at Lakeside Baptist Church in Granbury. Cunningham was arrested on June 19 in the 1400 block of 15th Street in Shallowater. Cunningham was charged with two counts of Sexual Assault of a Child and one count of Aggravated Sexual Assault. He was taken to the Lubbock County Detention Center where he was held on a combined $500,000 bond.

Court documents obtained by EverythingLubbock.com stated Cunningham was accused of sexually assaulting a child younger than 17 years old back in January of 2016. Court records said it happened again in early January of 2017 and in October of 2018. Court records indicated there was more than one victim. In one instance, court documents said Cunningham was accused of using his hands as a “deadly weapon” during the assault.

The first allegations were reported in 2021 and were brought to the District Attorney’s office in 2022.

A detective who testified during the hearing on Monday said Cunningham was involved with two churches in Lubbock. Cunningham has allegations dating back to 2013, the detective said. The detective also said Cunningham had admitted to a level of abuse of one of the victims.

Defense attorney Michael King said Cunningham has “cooperated fully” with his arrest and “was not a danger” to anyone at the time. King said Cunningham is not a flight risk or a danger to the community. King asked for a $100,000 bond for Cunningham and asked that he be allowed to have unsupervised contact with his three children.

Officials with the District Attorney’s office said the probable cause affidavit included the police report, and the record could not be provided since the victim is a juvenile.

Turning Point previously sent a message to church members stating, “All allegations that are surfacing have been brought to our attention after [Cunningham’s] employment, not during or before.”

The church said it was “devastated” by the allegations and feels “enormous grief for anyone who is a potential victim.” The letter asked anyone who might be a victim or have information about the investigation to contact police.

The judge will make a ruling regarding Cunningham’s bond at a later date.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLBK | KAMC | EverythingLubbock.com.