Aaron Craig Gleason, a Christian Bible teacher and conservative writer, was arrested in Okaloosa County, Florida, on January 28, facing charges of molesting a child under the age of 12. The 39-year-old, who has written for outlets such as The Federalist and The Daily Wire, posted bail in the amount of $75,000.
Gleason had previously made headlines for his strong stance against child trafficking and what he saw as ideological threats to children. In 2023, he wrote a review for The Federalist praising the film Sound of Freedom, which focuses on sex trafficking. In his article, Gleason described the film as “a call to action” and said, “It’s about the children — lost, invisible children who suffer in the depths of hell every single day.”
Gleason had been employed at Rocky Bayou Christian School, where he taught Bible classes and coached soccer. The school informed parents about the arrest through an email, noting that one of their middle school teachers had been arrested, but did not identify Gleason by name. The email also stated that the teacher had been on paid administrative leave for two weeks before the arrest.
In June 2023, Gleason sparked controversy when he shared a video of Pride marchers, including some in drag, and accused them of “grooming” children. The video showed marchers chanting, “We’re here, we’re queer, we’re coming for your children.” Gleason commented, “No grooming going on here, they’re just coming for our children.”
Gleason had written at least two articles for The Daily Wire, but his author page was removed after the arrest. The page, however, is still available on the Wayback Machine. His author page on The Federalist remains active.
Authorities have not released further details about the charges.
