TX Youth Pastor Sentenced To 60 Years For Child Porn

Fort Worth’s CBS affiliate reports:

Friday morning, at the Sherman Federal Courthouse, former Denison youth leader Chad Michael Rider was sentenced to 720 months in federal prison.

District Judge Amos Mazzant gave Rider a total of 60 years for sexually exploiting children and producing child pornography, stacking two 30 year sentences on three charges.

Both Rider, 48 and co-conspirator former pastor David Pettigrew, 49 were arrested in August of 2020 by Department of Homeland Security Agents. Back in August of 2021, Pettigrew pleaded guilty and was given 30 years for two counts of sexually exploiting children.

From the Justice Department:



Chad Michael Rider, 48, was found guilty of three counts of the sexual exploitation of children, also referred to as the production of child pornography. The jury returned the verdict late today following a five-day trial before U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant.

According to the court documents and testimony at trial, in August 2022, Homeland Security Investigations agents were investigating David Pettigrew, of Denison, for child pornography offenses.

Agents seized a computer hard drive from Pettigrew’s office at the Denison Church of the Nazarene. Forensic review of the device revealed videos of Pettigrew and Rider setting up to film children while bathing at the church. Additional videos were located in which Rider filmed two other children in residential settings.

“One of the sacred safe havens for children is the church and all it stands for. Yet Rider and his conspirators purposefully used it as a lure to bring children in and then, despicably, exploited those children for their own perverted gratification,” said U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston.

“The jury heard all of the evidence and rendered its judgement and the law of the Eastern District of Texas federal court will render its punishment soon, at least as such punishment that may rendered on earth.”