Former faith leader at Ark Encounter and Creation Museum charged with sexually abusing teen
A man who was recently a faith leader at the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum in Northern Kentucky has been arrested on sex abuse charges.
Michael Howard, 36, of Burlington, is accused of abusing a child for years, beginning when the child was 15. He faces 40 counts of first-degree sexual abuse and 40 counts of third-degree sodomy.
Howard was previously a member of TrueSong, the resident artist band at the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum, according to the band’s website. The Ark Encounter is a tourist attraction in Grant County that features a full-size replica of Noah’s Ark. The Creation Museum, in Boone County, teaches visitors about biblical history.
Answers in Genesis, a ministry website that focuses on the book of Genesis and owns both the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum, confirmed Howard is no longer part of the band.
“In fact, his departure from TrueSong occurred before we became aware of the investigation against him as it relates to the young man who attended the church where Howard was the worship leader,” said Answers in Genesis COO Mark Looy.
Answers in Genesis did not immediately explain when Howard stopped playing with the band, but he was photographed with the band when they signed with Daywind Music Group in April 2023. He was also featured in a video with TrueSong at the 2024 GMA Dove Awards in October. Howard is no longer pictured on the band’s website.
Howard’s arrest warrant says he was a family friend of the victim for many years, and the victim looked up to him. Howard and the victim were also members of the same church, according to the sheriff’s office.
Howard hired the victim to work for his business in the fall of 2019, according to court documents. The following spring, when the victim was 15, Howard began sending the victim explicit messages to the victim over the photo-sharing app Snapchat.
The nature of the relationship advanced over time. Court documents say the abuse happened at least four times per week.
Court documents say Howard often told the victim they “could not talk about it” and that their relationship “can never be known,” according to court documents.
When the victim turned 18, Howard told the victim that if news of their relationship got out, the victim should tell people it began when he was 18.
The victim’s family reported the relationship to law enforcement and church leadership, according to court documents. Howard was booked into the Boone County Detention Center Jan. 2, according to jail records.
The sheriff’s office said Howard admitted some details of the abuse to both investigators and church leadership.
Howard is being held on a $250,000 bond.
TrueSong was founded in 2022. The band was nominated as “Favorite New Artist” for the 2023 Singing News Fan Awards, according to Daywind Music Group.
