Louisiana pastor and former “Survivor” contestant John Raymond reportedly claimed he’s the victim of “cancel culture” before being convicted of three juvenile cruelty felonies.
Lawyers for Raymond, who appeared on the CBS reality competition show in 2002, also told jurors a “woke” prosecutor’s office was responsible for charging the defendant with taping shut the mouths of Christian school students, and allegedly covering one child’s mouth until the 4-year-old pupil went limp, according to the Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate.
A St. Tammany Parish, La., jury reportedly took about an hour to convict Raymond after six days of hearings that included 23 witnesses for the prosecution. The defendant, who’s active in Republican politics, maintained his innocence while being walked out of the courtroom in handcuffs.
The defense argued the crimes for which Raymond’s was prosecuted demonstrate government overreach. The defendant claims his actions align with Biblical teachings.
“It’s not wokeness,” District Attorney Collin Sims told the jury. “It’s ‘Dude, that’s my kid. I didn’t tell you you could do that.’”
Raymond could receive up to 40 years in prison when he’s sentenced for second-degree child cruelty on Oct. 23. He didn’t testify in his defense, but had previously argued he was caught in the crosshairs of a cultural divide, according to the Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate.
The defendant appeared on the fifth season of “Survivor,” which took place in Thailand. He was the first contestant booted from the elimination-based competition that season.