LTRP Note: Lighthouse Trails has been covering the story of Philip Zodhiates for many years. Philip spent nearly three years in a U.S. federal prison (2018-2021) for legally helping protect a mother (who became a believer in Christ and left a lesbian relationship) and her daughter who was being sexually abused. Philip chronicles the story and his prison years in his book, Innocent: The Price One Man Paid for Doing What Is Right (distributed by Lighthouse Trails).
By Philip Zodhiates
I’m so sorry I’ve not updated the Lighthouse Trails readers sooner on recent developments. It’s been nearly a year since my last update!
The devil continues his attacks to discourage Kathie, me, and our entire family. He apparently sees us as an impediment to his despicable desire to legally gain sexual access to all children, regardless of age.
Yet we are not surprised by such evil, let alone the trials and tribulations he throws at us (1 Peter 4:12-14). Instead, we are to rejoice in them, for they are for our own spiritual growth and benefit (James 1:2-4)!
And for this reason, we’ve been incredibly grateful for your prayers, and any financial help you have sent our way to assist with the tremendous legal costs we’re forced to pay. You have been such a blessing and encouragement to us!
God continues to sustain us no matter what we go through. He provides peace in the very midst of all the difficult things we face (Romans 8:6). He never fails to meet our every need just in the nick of time! And we are blessed to be found counted worthy of the Lord to be such a target of Satan (Matthew 5:10-12).
Let me explain. Last spring we were shocked and blindsided by Federal Judge William Sessions’ summary judgment against me, denying my right to a trial in defending the civil suit. A case filed by Janet Jenkins [Lisa Miller’s former lesbian partner] and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for supposedly denying Janet Jenkins her imagined parental rights.
In other words, the judge finds the case against me compelling enough to order the forgoing of a trial, meaning a jury merely needs to assign the supposed monetary damages they claim I owe Janet Jenkins, of which SPLC takes a sizable proportion.
This is merely a way to assure we do not present in trial the evidence of Janet Jenkin’s sexual abuse of Isabella Miller, paving the way toward the normalization of adult-child sex.
If you recall, I was also denied the ability to bring up Janet Jenkin’s alleged sexual abuse of Isabella in my criminal trial, which resulted in a three-year prison sentence for “aiding and abetting an international parental kidnapping.”
This was even though the statute gave Lisa Miller, Isabella’s birth mother, the right to remove her child from the country if she merely believed Isabella was being abused.
I was arrested and convicted because I gave a now born-again Lisa Miller, and her home-schooled child, Isabella, a ride to Buffalo International Airport from Virginia. It was from there the two left the United States by taxi, after a family court judge in Vermont refused to take away unsupervised visitation rights from Janet Jenkins, despite her abuse of Isabella.
You see, the evidence of abuse against Janet Jenkins is extensive and convincing. And had there not been evil intentions to subvert the laws opposing same-sex marriage and gaining sexual access to children, Janet Jenkins’ illusionary parental rights as a same-sex civil union partner would have been waived when she began sexually abusing Isabella Miller.
However, I plan to appeal the judge’s recent rogue ruling [the summary judgment] if I am financially able to continue this fight.
On the same day as Judge Sessions’ summary judgment against me, denying me the right to a trial regarding the present civil suit and thereby finding me liable, he released Lisa Miller’s pro-bono legal firm and attorney as defendants, which SPLC subsequently appealed.
This delays the upcoming trial of the two defendants left that must stand trial, our daughter Victoria and my own company—both frivolous defendants. It also puts on hold my appeal of the summary judgment and the liability hearing should we lose that appeal. Once again, over thirteen years after Janet Jenkins and the SPLC sued me, everything is on hold!
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division contacted me asking to see if there was a way they could be of influence in this civil matter. Yet after learning of the judge’s summary judgment, he said there was nothing they could do.
But he encouraged me to file an official presidential pardon request of my criminal conviction with the U.S. Department of Justice, even though my request had already been sent directly to the White House.
This I did, but to date a presidential pardon has yet to happen.
So, after exhausting our legal options for now, we merely go about our daily lives, praising God; we have Him to cast our burdens upon (Psalms 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7). When we do that, it alleviates the stress and worry that could so easily overwhelm us.
For the Lord never promised to keep us from trials, tribulation, and persecution (2 Timothy 3:1,11-12; Philippians 1:29-30)—but He has promised to see us through them (1 Corinthians 10:13; Psalms 23:4; Isaiah 43:2)! This we are constantly seeing happen through these trying times.
Satan’s attacks continue full force in other ways too. While I am not at liberty to share details at this time, I will just say that because of the ongoing battle and attacks against us that we have endured for so many years, certain relationships among some of our friends and family members have suffered and been hurt and have caused Kathie and I great anguish.
We have also been attacked financially in other ways: A sewer line broke in two and needed to be replaced, old underground galvanized water lines began crumbling in various places and needed replacement, and baffling electrical problems appeared which have yet to be resolved.
What was the most significant shock to us came in November 2025, when we discovered two of Kathie’s heart valves have significant issues. Having had bad experiences with local hospitals, Kathie decided to contact Cleveland Clinic, from whom she learned the surgery would have to be open heart surgery. We are supposed to travel there in the next few weeks for further testing to see if there are any less invasive surgical options. Please pray for God’s complete healing of Kathie’s heart!
Most recently, I discovered Amazon took my book Innocent* off their website, claiming my account was “terminated due to violations of our terms and conditions.” This is another way to say I have been de-platformed. I suspect it is merely another way SPLC, which has always been in cahoots with Jeff Bezo and Amazon to attack and deplatform Christians, seeks to silence us and bring us down. [LTRP Note: On January 31st, 2026, Lighthouse Trails was able to restore Philip’s book to Amazon through different means.]
It is so very clear we’re amid intense spiritual warfare as well as a spiritual battle for children everywhere. We so desperately need you to uphold us through the power of prayer. No, we are not fearful of what any man may do to us or say about us. We serve an all-powerful God (Romans 8:31). Nothing Satan throws at us will cause us to bend to his evil agenda. God is on our side.
Yet it is so very clear: Southern Poverty Law Center’s motivation for bringing this lawsuit against us is to further their agenda of normalizing sex between adults and children. Simply put, their agenda is to legitimize sexual access to children. And the federal judge in this case just took a huge step towards doing that!
His decision more-or-less affirms the belief that sexual advances against children are normal and should be accepted as such. And his ruling conveniently coincided with a conference pushing the idea that sexual attraction to minors is not a psychiatric disorder to be managed, but an identity to be affirmed. Leading the effort and sponsoring the meeting was B4U-ACT, a Maryland-non-profit begun to support pedophiles and their rights, or as they call them, “Minor-Attracted Persons” (MAPs).
It was there mental-health providers were being trained in “affirmative MAP therapy,” which seeks to help those who can’t help their sexual attraction to children to accept their “age of attraction” as an intrinsic and valid part of their identity.
Mark my word, as bizarre as it now sounds, pedophilia will become a right in the near future unless enough people take a stand now. Just as the very absurd notion of same-sex marriage seemed twenty years ago.
We still know God is in control no matter what happens, and what happens to us. And we continue to plead and beg for your prayers not just for us and our family, but for all children and grandchildren.
In His service, Philip Zodhiates
LTRP Note: The website 419fund.com is no longer active. So to make an online donation toward Philip’s legal expenses, go to https://www.givesendgo.com/PhilipZodhiates. However, your online gift is not tax-deductible. To make your gift tax-deductible, send it postal mail to 419Fund, 1338 Jefferson Way, Forest, VA 24551. You may write directly to Philip at:
Philip Zodhiates
P.O. Box 1842
Waynesboro, VA 22980
pzodhiates@voiceforthechildren.com
Click here to see all the articles Lighthouse Trails has posted on this issue.
