‘Survivor’ Contestant Arrested, Charged With Cruelty to Juveniles

CBS Cast photo of "Survivor: Thailand" (2002).

“Survivor: Thailand” contestant John Raymond has been arrested and charged with cruelty to juveniles after allegedly taping students’ mouths shut using packing tape. Here’s what you need to know:

Police Say Raymond Wrapped Packing Tape Around 3 13-Year-Old Boys’ Heads

Slidell Police DepartmentJohn Raymond after his arrest.

John Raymond, 60, first appeared on “Survivor” back in its fifth season in 2002, at the age of 40, but was the first voted out of the game. He was placed on the Chuay Gahn tribe and almost instantly turned his tribemates off with his bossy personality and desire to be in a leadership position. The final straw came on Day 2, when he played a prank on his tribe by telling them that a small pool of saltwater was going to be their main water source, leading to his elimination the following day.

At the time, Raymond was a pastor from Slidell, Louisiana, and that has not changed in the years since. However, since then, he has also become a headmaster at Slidell’s Lakeside Christian Academy, where he was arrested Thursday for allegedly taping students’ mouths shut, according to The New Orleans Advocate (NOLA).

The Slidell police said that Raymond’s arrest came after the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services filed a complaint about “potential child abuse” at the school in late March.

Detectives said that Raymond wrapped packing tape around three 13-year-old male students’ heads, due to “excessive talking.” The tape later had to be removed by another administrator after 45 minutes, but was so tightly wound that police say the removal process was “painful,” and scissors had to be used. The boys also apparently had trouble breathing.

Raymond surrendered after police obtained a warrant for his arrest. He was booked into the city jail and was then scheduled to be transported to the St. Tammany Parish Jail, where a bond will be set.

Raymond Was a ‘Well-Known’ Political Figure in His Parish

CBSRaymond’s official cast photo in “Survivor: Thailand” (2002).

According to NOLA, Raymond is a “well-known” pastor in the region, likely in part because he ran for political office there a few years back.

Back in 2018, Raymond, a Republican, unsuccessfully ran for the 90th District of the Louisiana House of Representatives, which is based in Slidell. He ran largely on his support of then-President Donald Trump and his opposition to same-sex marriage, and touted himself as the most conservative candidate in the race. He made the runoff, but lost to Mary DuBuisson, another Republican, per NOLA. DuBuisson has served as the state representative from that district ever since.

Raymond is also a member of the governing body of the Louisiana Republican Party, and chairs its credentials committee, per NOLA. He has also been vice chairman of the St. Tammany Parish Republican Party – the parish in which Slidell is located.

Raymond is not the first “Survivor: Thailand” contestant to run into troubles with the law. The season’s winner, Brian Heidik, is also well-known among the show’s fanbase for having shot a puppy with an arrow in Georgia back in 2006, a few years after his win, according to the LA Times. He tried to flee from the police, but was quickly apprehended, and claimed in court that he thought the puppy was a predatory coyote. He was later released on bond.