US pastor Benjamin Garlick, 35, jailed for life for raping 5-year-old. Wife Shaantal convicted of facilitating abuse/Image: Murfreesboro Police DepartmentA Tennessee pastor has been convicted of raping a child who was five years old at that time and sentenced to life in prison without parole, while his wife has also been found guilty of helping facilitate the abuse.A jury found Benjamin Garlick, 35, guilty on Monday after a two-week trial in Rutherford County. He was convicted of seven counts of aggravated rape of a child, six counts of aggravated sexual battery, one count of solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor and two violations of Tennessee's Child Protection Act, The New York Post reported.Garlick will be sentenced on the remaining charges on November 10.His wife, Shaantal Garlick, 32, was convicted of two counts of facilitating aggravated rape of a child and two counts of aggravated child neglect. She is also due to be sentenced on November 10.The investigation began in August 2023, when police received information about the sexual abuse of a child who was five years old at the time. Investigators said the abuse had continued over several years.As detectives investigated the allegations, they identified two additional victims, according to police. Investigators also concluded that Shaantal knowingly neglected one of the children in a way that affected the child's health and welfare and helped facilitate the sexual abuse.Det. James Wilkinson, the lead investigator, said after the convictions:“The Murfreesboro Police Department thanks all members of the Child Protective Investigative Team (CPIT) for their tireless work throughout this investigation and trial, ensuring the victims’ voices were heard and justice was served.”Police said Garlick had spent years travelling around the country as a minister, with much of his work focused on the Hispanic community.Garlick and his wife were arrested in September 2023. A Rutherford County grand jury later reindicted them in March 2024 as the investigation continued.Shaantal Garlick had been free on bond but was taken into custody after Monday's verdict.