CEDARVILLE, OH — A former Cedarville University finance professor whose writings promote a Christian ethic of marriage and sexuality was arrested Tuesday on eight sex-related felony charges involving one or more minors.

The indictment, filed March 27 in Ohio’s Greene County Common Pleas Court, charges John Kent Tarwater with two counts of rape, three counts of sexual battery and three counts of gross sexual imposition.

He was booked into Greene County jail in southwest Ohio, where he remained in custody as of Wednesday morning. No defense counsel was listed in public court records, and no hearing or trial dates were disclosed.

Tarwater, 55, has been listed in Cedarville academic catalogs as a business and finance faculty member since 2017, rising from assistant professor to professor of finance in the Robert W. Plaster School of Business.

Three years ago, a Cedarville University news release noted the school’s designation as the state’s “Most Collegiest Town” by The Washington Post. “Melding town culture with university culture” set the town apart, the release said, adding, “It’s also professors like Dr. John Tarwater, associate professor of finance, watching one of his 11 children on the (basketball) court.”

Cedarville executive director of public relations Mark D. Weinstein told The Roys Report (TRR) via email that the release was prepared by his department. “I am aware of John Tarwater having 10 children, not 11,” he added.

Tarwater’s scholarly work includes two books: a 2005 volume, “Marriage as Covenant: Considering God’s Design at Creation and the Contemporary Moral Consequences,” and a 2019 book, “Business Ethics: A Christian Method for Making Moral Decisions.”

He has also written peer-reviewed journal articles on business ethics and Christian sexual ethics, including a 2021 piece for the “Journal of Markets & Morality” on transgenderism in the marketplace.

In national evangelical media, Tarwater adapted his Themelios article into a 2022 piece titled “Does Sexual Self-Gratification Glorify God?” for The Gospel Coalition, addressing masturbation within Christian ethics. The shortened article has been pulled from the TGC website and the Themelios piece is only available as a PDF; other journal articles can be accessed online.

Regulatory disclosures and academic records show Tarwater holds separate doctorates in ethics and theology as well as in finance, with a 2018 dissertation on financial and commodity markets in NAFTA and Latin America.

An author’s biographical note on his 2019 business ethics book states Tarwater “previously served as the Vice President and CFO for the Rio Grande Bible Seminary (now College) in Edinburg, TX, and was a professor of biblical ethics at SETECA (Central American Theological Seminary) in Guatemala City, Guatemala.”

The Greene County indictment accuses Tarwater of engaging in sexual conduct and sexual contact with a victim younger than 13 during part of the alleged period and younger than 18 in later times.

Prosecutors allege the conduct occurred between August 2019 and July 2025, with at least some occurring in Greene County, including at a Cedarville address identified as 3302 U.S. Route 42 East, a property county records indicate he once owned.

The indictment states that, in several counts, Tarwater allegedly compelled the victim by force or threat of force.

The charges include first-degree felony rape, second- and third-degree felony sexual battery and third- and fourth-degree felony gross sexual imposition, under various sections of the Ohio Revised Code.

Each of the eight counts carries a related specification seeking forfeiture of the Route 42 property as alleged contraband, proceeds or an instrumentality of the offenses.

TRR contacted Greene County Prosecuting Attorney David D. Hayes for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Cedarville University informed the campus community Tuesday of the indictment and arrest in an email from Associate Vice President for Human Resources John W. Davis.

“We were informed in July 2025 that Dr. Tarwater was under investigation for concerning allegations,” Davis wrote in the message to the “Dear Cedarville community.”

“Due to the nature of the investigation, he was immediately placed on administrative leave and restricted from coming on campus,” Davis wrote.

“In October, he was dismissed from his contract,” the email added, referring to Tarwater, who “previously served as professor of finance at Cedarville University.”

“Today we were informed that Dr. Tarwater was indicted by a Greene County Grand Jury and arrested on eight felony counts, including rape, gross sexual imposition, and sexual battery,” Davis wrote.

The university told students, faculty and staff it shared the information “given the indictment and the specific nature of the charges.”

“Our understanding is that these charges do not involve anyone Dr. Tarwater met or interacted with as a University professor,” Davis wrote. “Even so, we desire to be transparent and ensure the safety of everyone on campus,” the message continued.

In an email to TRR, Weinstein reiterated the main points of Davis’ letter and called the arrest a “grievous situation.”

Tarwater’s academic background includes degrees from Carson-Newman University, Duke University, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where he completed a doctorate in finance in 2018.

His 2002 theology dissertation at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, cited in later literature, examined “The Covenantal Nature of Marriage in the Order of Creation in Genesis 1 and 2.”

In addition to his university work, Tarwater served in financial-services roles, including with Regent’s Wealth Planning LLC and firms associated with Valmark in recent years, according to regulatory filings.

Cedarville urged anyone aware of “any inappropriate behavior from this former professor” to contact the institution’s Title IX office at a university-provided email address.

“This is difficult news that is grievous to read, but we share it because the safety and well-being of our students will always be a guiding priority,” Davis wrote.

“We encourage you to pray for healing for all affected by this situation.”

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