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Authorities searching Gatlinburg area for former Indiana councilman charged with child sex crimes

Authorities said they have reason to believe Steven Sumner may be in the Gatlinburg area after he fled Indiana. He is charged with several child sex crimes.

GATLINBURG, Tenn. — The U.S. Marshals Service and Indiana State Police are asking for help from East Tennesseans to capture a former Indiana councilman charged with child sex crimes who did not show up to court.

According to the East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers, authorities have reason to believe Steven Craig Sumner, 55, might be in the Gatlinburg area. 

He is accused of raping an underage girl and is facing 18 charges, including rape, child seduction, sexual misconduct with a child, sexual battery and possession of child pornography.

Sumner has a history of working in the Nazarene Church in Montana and Colorado and attended the Nazarene Church Bible College. Police said he might be working as a handyman and also has connections to the Waynesville, N.C. area and Maryland.

According to Crime Stoppers, Sumner is being helped by a woman named Sharon Bailey Wood Barker, who is 5'7" with blonde hair that may be dyed. They are pictured below.

The United States Marshals Service and the Indiana State Police are asking for the publics assistance in locating a...

Posted by East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers on Monday, September 11, 2023

ISP began asking for help to find Sumner as a fugitive in August. According to WTHR, WBIR's sister station in Indianapolis, he had a hearing on Aug. 8 and failed to appear at it. Sumner's attorney told The Herald Bulletin he had no idea why his client didn't show up.

The Herald Bulletin reported Sumner had been elected to Madison County Council in 2018 before resigning in 2021, saying he previously served as a pastor with the Lighthouse Church in Anderson, Indiana. 

If you know Sumner's whereabouts, please contact ETVCS at 865-215-7165, or the ISP at 1-800-527-4762 or 765-778-2121.

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