In a dramatic turn of events, a Florida-based pastor and his ministry have filed a defamation lawsuit against unidentified individuals over allegations of sexual misconduct. The plaintiffs, Michael Schadt and S.O.S. Ministries, Inc., initiated the legal action on January 6, 2025, in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Pinellas County, Florida. They are suing unknown defendants who allegedly published false statements accusing Schadt of incestuous sexual abuse.

Michael Schadt, a Christian pastor and founder of S.O.S. Ministries—a nonprofit organization known for its humanitarian work across the globe—claims that these defamatory articles have caused significant harm to his personal and professional reputation. According to the complaint, the defamatory content was first published online on November 3, 2023, on websites such as Gripeo.com and IntelligenceLine.com. These articles falsely accused Schadt of sexually abusing his half-sister during their childhood.

The complaint details how these baseless accusations have been disseminated widely online, causing irreparable damage to both Schadt’s reputation and that of S.O.S. Ministries. “These statements are demonstrably false,” asserts the complaint, supported by an affidavit from Elizabeth St. Armand, Schadt’s actual half-sister, who refutes any claims of abuse.