A Christian influencer couple has been arrested after a teenager accused them of abuse, allegations that have cast a shadow over their previously respected standing in the community.
Seth and Heather Day, both 39, were taken into custody after a 14-year-old girl reported the alleged abuse to a high school teacher in Keene, Texas, on September 24, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by CBS News.
The girl was taken to the Johnson County Children’s Advocacy Center, where officials documented visible injuries to her face and head, the affidavit states.
She alleged that Seth struck her in the face with a cellphone “out of anger” while Heather and the girl’s two siblings were at home, according to the document.
During the investigation, the teenager also told police that Seth had allegedly sexually assaulted her two days earlier.
The girl described several alleged incidents of abuse, including one that had already been investigated by Child Protective Services in August, the affidavit says.
According to CPS, additional alleged abuse incidents were reported while the couple was living in Midland, before the family moved to Keene.
The teenager said she had told Heather about the alleged abuse and recalled one occasion when the two of them went to a hospital.
Heather and Seth Day were arrested on September 24 after a teenager accused them of abuse. Picture source: Facebook
Heather is a prominent Christian influencer and is currently promoting her book, ‘What If I’m Wrong?’ Picture source: Facebook
Heather allegedly told medical personnel that she did not know how the teenager had sustained her injuries.
The influencer also allegedly urged the girl to wear a mask at school to conceal the injuries and attribute the swelling to an autoimmune disease.
Keene police later carried out a search of the couple’s home under a warrant and reported finding alleged evidence connected to the abuse investigation.
The couple’s children were placed in CPS custody, while Seth and Heather were booked into the Johnson County Jail.
Both were charged with injury to a child, and Seth was additionally charged with sexual assault of a child. Jail records indicate that each was released on a $100,000 bond.
The allegations emerged as the couple had built a sizable audience and public profile through their work and social media presence.
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Heather has more than 71,000 Instagram followers and founded Cross Communication, a firm focused on Christian speaking development.
Her website says she has contributed to Religion News Service, Christianity Today, Newsweek and the Barna Group.
Seth is an assistant professor of psychology at Southwestern Adventist University and has been placed on administrative leave following the allegations. Picture source: Facebook
Before becoming a Christian influencer, Heather spent nearly 15 years working as a communications professor. She is also promoting her latest 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.
Seth faces charges of injury and sexual assault of a child. He was accused of striking a 14-year-old girl in the face with a phone and allegedly sexually assaulting her
Heather faces charges of injury to a child for allegedly knowing about the abuse and concealing it
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. Our News Outlet has reached out to their team for comment.
Our News Outlet has also reached out to the Keene Police Department, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department and CPS in Midland for comment.
