Seemingly upstanding Christian author couple meted out nightmarish abuse to teenage girl, police say

A Christian influencer couple was arrested for allegedly inflicting nightmarish abuse on a teenager tarnishing their upstanding reputation in the community. 

Seth and Heather Day, both 39, were arrested after a 14-year-old girl reported alleged abuse to a high school teacher in Keene, Texas, on September 24, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by CBS News. 

The victim was taken to the Johnson County Children’s Advocacy Center with visible injuries to her face and head, according to the document.

She told authorities that Seth had allegedly struck her with a cellphone across her face out of ‘anger’ while Heather and her two siblings were home, the affidavit noted. 

During the investigation, the teenager reported to police that Seth had allegedly sexually assaulted her two days before.

The teenager reported multiple instances of abuse, including an incident previously investigated by Child Protective Services in August, according to the affidavit. 

CPS reported multiple instances of alleged abuse when the couple lived in Midland before they relocated to Keene. 

The teenager alleged that she told Heather about the abuse and noted one instance where the two went to a hospital. 

Heather allegedly told medical staff that she had no idea how the teen obtained her injuries. 

The Christian influencer also allegedly pressured the girl to wear a mask at school to cover up her injuries and use an autoimmune disease to explain her swelling. 

The Keene Police Department executed a search warrant on the couple’s home and reported alleged evidence relating to the abuse. 

Their children were placed in the custody of CPS and the couple was booked into the Johnson County Jail. 

The pair was charged with injury to a child, while Seth faces an additional charge of sexual assault of a child. Jail records show they were both released on a $100,000 bond. 

The shocking allegations come as the couple has grown a significant following on social media. 

Heather has over 71,000 followers on Instagram and founded Cross Communication, a Christian speaking development firm. 

She has been a contributor for Religion News Service, Christianity Today, Newsweek and the Barna Group, according to her website. 

Before launching her career as a Christian influencer, Heather worked as a communications professor for nearly 15 years. She is also promoting her recent book, ‘What If I’m Wrong?’ 

Earlier this week, Heather wrote on Facebook: ‘We are focusing on prayer all of 2026. If you are in a season of delay, make sure to sign up for our email devotional.

‘Put LIGHT in the comments and I’ll make sure to DM you the link where you can read the rest of this series.’ 

Seth frequently posts videos of his wife’s speaking engagements and is an assistant professor of psychology at Southwestern Adventist University. 

The university said in a statement earlier this week that it was aware of Seth’s arrest and placed him on administrative leave. 

‘We are fully cooperating with law enforcement. We understand that the current allegations do not involve SWAU students, staff, or other faculty members. The safety of our University community remains our first priority. We will share additional details as appropriate,’ the statement concluded. 

The couple also co-wrote a book together called ‘I’ll See You Tomorrow: Building Relational Resilience When You Want to Quit.’

‘In I’ll See You Tomorrow, communication professor Dr Heather Thompson Day and Seth Day tackle difficulties that people face in relationships and help them navigate through relational disappointment, conflict, and fear,’ the book’s description reads. 

The couple has not publicly responded to the allegations. The Daily Mail has reached out to their team for comment. 

The Daily Mail has also reached out to the Keene Police Department, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department and CPS in Midland for comment.