Content overview: “Jim Bakker, PTL Club Televangelist Disgraced by Sex Scandal and Fraud, Dies at 86”. BBC Entertainment Oct 6, 2026 • 1:31 PM 1 views Jim Bakker, the televangelist who built a multimillion-dollar Christian broadcasting empire before his downfall amid a sex scandal and financial fraud, has died at 86. Bakker co-founded The PTL Club with his then-wife Tammy Faye Bakker, turning it into one of the most-watched religious programs of the 1980s. His ministry, headquartered in Fort Mill, South Carolina, attracted millions of viewers and donations, funding a lavish lifestyle and the Heritage USA theme park.
But in 1987, Bakker resigned after admitting to a sexual encounter with church secretary Jessica Hahn and paying her hush money. Subsequent investigations revealed massive financial irregularities, including overselling lifetime partnerships for hotel rooms at Heritage USA. Bakker was convicted in 1989 on 24 counts of fraud and conspiracy and sentenced to 45 years in prison, later reduced to eight years. For the complete material, the listing points back to the source inside the network.