The Marriage Advice Pastor Arrested for Having Two Wives

Most people who write books about loving your spouse are also, ideally, loving their spouse. Leslie Williams took a different approach.

The Marriage Mentor of The Villages

Leslie Williams, 62, built a reputation as a faith-based marriage counselor at The Villages, the sprawling Florida retirement community outside Orlando. He described himself as a board-certified Christian counselor, apologist, and teacher of the word of God, and in 2017 he published a book titled "Love Her Like This: Loving Her Has Never Been Deeper." The preface opened with a promise: "If you have loved and been divorced, this book is for you."

The Announcement Nobody Expected

On December 9, 2025, Williams posted on Facebook to announce he had just married a woman named Cindi. His followers were immediately puzzled. One commenter replied: "Wow, I thought you were already married." Their instinct was correct. Williams had been publicly presenting himself as a married man for years - yet here he was, posting a new wedding announcement.

The Warrant and the Arrest

Florida marriage records confirmed that Williams was still legally married to his first wife at the time he married Cindi. Based on those records, the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office in Georgia obtained a felony bigamy warrant on April 3, 2026. Williams was arrested at The Villages on April 22, 2026, and held at the Sumter County Detention Center without bond as an out-of-state fugitive pending extradition to Georgia.

What the Law Says

In Georgia, bigamy is a felony carrying one to ten years in prison. Williams awaits extradition to face the charge. His marriage advice book remains listed online, its promise of a "never-failing" marriage now carrying a different kind of irony.