An Alabama preacher is facing a criminal charge after police found a 5-year-old child unattended in his SUV while he drank at a bar into the early morning hours. John Gibson was charged with endangering the welfare of a child in connection to the incident that occurred in Dothan, Alabama. According to Lt. Scott Owens of the Dothan Police Department, Gibson left the child in his vehicle at a bar while he drank from Saturday, July 12, into Sunday, July 13. A concerned patron alerted police, leading to the discovery of the child unharmed inside the unattended vehicle. The child was taken into the care of the Alabama Department of Human Resources until other family members arrived. Temperatures were in the low 80s at the time of the incident, posing potential risks to the child’s safety. Gibson, who was a pastor at First Baptist Church of Dothan, has since been released on bond. The church stated that they have parted ways with him following his arrest, emphasizing that the incident did not involve any students or children from their ministry.
