One year on, former youth pastor and music director for Oakwood Church, Zachary Radcliff, 29, has not yet stood trial for sex crimes against minors. Victims range in age from 12 to 17 and the crimes are alleged to go back as far as 2011.
Thanks to a reader for this important update on Ratcliff’s case, which is floating around on an interlocutory appeal filed in June. His bond was revoked in January 2025.
Earlier this year, nine survivors testified against Radcliff at his preliminary hearing in Washtenaw County. Following this testimony, 14A District Court Judge J. Cedric Simpson added nine counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and 21 counts of child sexually abusive activity. In all, Radcliff now faces 60 charges related to first-degree criminal sexual conduct, child sexually abusive activity and using a computer to commit a crime.
Judge Simpson observed that the survivors were courageous and believable. He stated on the record:
What I saw with them, they need to be believed, and they ought to be believed. Whether anyone does, that’s maybe for the future. But I believe them. I believe everything they told this court.
I don’t say this lightly at all. Not how I operate my life and certainly not how I operate as a judge. But in my 25-so-plus years, I’ve seen a lot. This ranks up with one of the most egregious predators that I have ever seen as it regards individuals.”
At the 30:09 mark, after dispensing with defense counsel’s specious argument that at the preliminary hearing, a CSAM charge requires a physical piece of evidence rather than testimony by survivors about how it was created, Judge Simpson describes the evidence provided by Radcliff’s accusers. It is compelling and worth watching. THIS is what is behind that piece of paper charging Ratcliff with his crimes, and the additional charges imposed that day. This is what the public never gets insight into.
The trial was moved to the 22nd Circuit Court and is being overseen by Judge Arianne Slay. Trial was scheduled for April, but the case is on some interlocutory appeal, which was filed on June 17. Status: Open.
https://www.courts.michigan.gov/c/courts/coa/case/376105
Radcliff is initially listed in court records as indigent, but at the bottom of the page above it shows he is now represented by Shannon Smith and Molly Blythe. I am not sure what the order is they are appealing from, but chatter online indicates its basis is in defense counsel “getting picked on.”
Delay is great for these types. Survivors may get tired of waiting and not want to testify at trial. Remember, this is a man Judge Simpson, who has been on the bench a quarter of a century, observed was an egregious predator.
A little more about Zach Radcliff, who is not only an accused prolific pedophile and CSAM creator, but what we’ve come to expect in religious and political hypocrites. Son of the pastor of Oakwood Church, the testimony at the preliminary hearing established that he paid for some of the grooming gifts he gave his victims with a church credit card.
Here’s a little clip of Radcliff’s dad, Pastor Frank, behind the pulpit at Oakwood Church:
Zach Radcliff is described in a Newsweek article as a MAGA church leader. “Radcliff, who performed a song at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in 2019, is a known supporter of Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.”
https://www.newsweek.com/maga-church-leader-charged-sexually-abusing-children-1972988
I set a Google alert for this piece of shit, because mainstream media will ignore him until a sentence is imposed. We will eventually learn more about the basis of his appeal and keep an eye on why two words: YOUTH PASTOR now should always raise red flags. That “nice young man” may end up being a Zach Radcliff.
See also:
Discover more from The Oakland County Child Killer
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Judge Simpson is frequently on the A and E show “Court TV”. He seems like a no nonsense type of judge.
Very nice job in describing the events of what has gone on in the past year in this case. There are so many cases like this (in Michigan alone), and it is difficult to remember everything.
The common theme I see in all of these cases is that so much going is on in the legal case, but so little progress is occurring. And no media reporting (or only high level and very brief) on any of this unless you dig deep and actively search. Even now with the many new criminal charges, and with criminal defense lawyer Shannon Smith now involved (who dedicates her practice to saving innocent people accused of sex crimes), it is not getting the media attention it deserves.
I also can’t help but see the parallels to what occurred in the legal proceedings of Christopher Busch’s cases in early 1977. I sure hope this guy does not get probation (to run concurrently) on all these charges.
I agree, G-Man, there are parallels; however Pastor Frank is no H. Lee Busch. While both are odious for different reasons, even if Zach’s dad fleeces the flock to pay for Ms. Smith’s legal bills, he can’t reach the Busch level of power, money, secrecy and favors.
Chris Busch had Richard Thompson and Gary Hawkins from the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office right on scene at Flint PD the evening he was arrested and they were present for his polygraph. That is fucking unprecedented. The release of any information in Chris Busch’s case was carefully controlled by L. Brooks Patterson, Richard Thompson and Judith Fullerton (Genesee County). Busch was dimed by Greg Greene, a dirtier and far less monied version of Chris Busch, who was quickly run through the legal system to his ultimate resting place at Jackson Prison. No one was going to let him squawk.
Zach Radcliff and his family had problems controlling the narrative on two fronts. The survivors contacted the church and law enforcement. It wasn’t a co-conspirator or fellow pedophile who dimed him; nine survivors testified against Radcliff at the preliminary hearing. There were other survivors who were unable to testify. Radcliff is facing numerous counts of CSC1. Conviction on any one count can mean life in prison. Surely at least one survivor will testify against him at trial if they have already been subjected to the secondary trauma inflicted by the legal system at the preliminary hearing.
As for Ms. Smith, she is no Jane Burgess and that is not saying much. I agree with the author in Guarded by Jackals that Busch could have been represented by a telephone pole and still gotten the same great result. Busch had the skids greased and wires pulled behind the scenes. Decades later, Burgess’ past relationship with Jessica Cooper and private polygrapher Larry Wasser provided cover for the resurrected claims against Chris Busch. Radcliff does not appear to have public corruption opportunities at hand. That is what saved Chris Busch.
Smith is using the typical tactics learned by defending child rapists, which may or may not work in a particular case. She has no friends in prosecutors’ offices. In the Busch case, there was a lid on everything and none of the four cases went to trial. In the Radcliff case there has already been a preliminary hearing that established probable cause for binding him over for trial of 60 counts of child sex crimes. A record has been made by some of his survivors about his crimes. While a jury has not yet spoken, I don’t see how even the Magical Ms. Smith makes this case go away for Youth Pastor Zach. Frankly, he may have been better off with a public defender. Time will tell.
December 18, 2025 update: https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/michigan-church-youth-director-facing-child-sex-charges-receives-new-trial-date/