The Rev. Arthur Allen from the House of Prayer Church in Atlanta officially is a Fulton County jail inmate today.
The 70-year-old pastor and four of his church members were convicted of aggravated assault and cruelty to children for whipping two boys in church.
Allen and his followers had been ordered to report to jail by 10 a.m. this morning. They cut it down to the wire.
His van lead the way to the front door of the jail. His last minute timing was a source of frustration for deputies.
He was followed in by the other church members convicted of cruelty to children.
"Will you continue whipping when you get out?" one reporter asked.
"No comment," was the reply.
Afterwards deputies said they weren't in contempt after all.
Usually the reverend for the House of Prayer never misses a chance to talk to cameras, but not today.
"He, I don't think, really wanted to speak," said Sgt. Nakita Hightower. "He just wanted to come on in and take care of the process.
"He was very peaceful. Very pleasant, and everything went like anything else would go."
The reverend has hired prominent defense attorney Ed Garland to handle the appeal of his case. But his 90-day sentence may be over before the appeal can be heard.