Facility profile Texas

Lighthouse for Boys

Closed Near Corpus Christi, Texas

At a glance

Address: Near Corpus Christi, TX
Operator: Roloff Homes

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Lighthouse for Boys was a program in Near Corpus Christi, Texas, operated by Roloff Homes.

1 news article
1 staff member named

News coverage

Killing the Buddha Mar 21, 2022 Expose

ALL IN THE NAME OF GOD: THE MULTIBILLION DOLLAR TROUBLED TEEN INDUSTRY AND THE CHRISTIANS WHO PROFIT FROM IT (2022-03-21)

The article reports on allegations of physical, spiritual, and sexual abuse in several faith‑based residential programs for troubled teens. It cites survivor testimonies describing forced silence, beatings, and conversion therapy practices. The piece highlights legal challenges that have allowed some facilities to operate with limited oversight.

Staff

Administration

Lester Roloff

Founder
Elsewhere in the industry
- Anchor Home for Boys Founder (1967-1982)
- Rebekah Home for Girls founder / leader
- Agape Boarding School photo displayed on campus
- Bethesda Home for Girls founder
- Roloff Evangelistic Enterprises founder
- People's Baptist Church founder, pastor

Survivor testimony

What people who lived or worked here say happened. Survivors' own words are published with their permission; forum accounts are what was posted publicly and are reported as claims, not findings.

Reported on survivor forums

Reported June 2004 Abuse

Abuse charges and raids on Roloff homes, including making boys run barefoot through briers and cactus, beatings with sticks, and trapping boys in a pit.source
Reported June 2004 Abuse

Abuse charges and investigations led to raids of the Roloff homes, including children being forced to run through briers and cactus, beatings with sticks, and being trapped in a pit where others urinated on them.source

Fornits lead (investigation): Abuse charges led to raids, criminal charges, and ongoing investigations and lawsuits against Roloff homes. (Fornits forum, post by Anonymous, June 2004: https://www.fornits.com/phpbb/index.php?topic=2107.37)

Reporting this program

This program closed, so the state agency that licensed it can no longer act against it. Other channels may still be able to: the boards that license the people who worked here, law enforcement, and the civil courts.

The Texas reporting channels list each one and what it can do. Time limits depend on the state, the kind of harm and the survivor's age, and many states have lengthened or removed them for child sexual abuse, so a program closing long ago does not by itself mean it is too late. Laws change, so the time limits we list were correct when we checked them but may have been updated since; a lawyer can tell you where things stand now.