Tag Archives: child porn

The Roys Report reports: A former intern at Life.Church, one of the largest megachurches in the country, is facing federal charges for allegedly possessing dozens of videos and images of child sexual abuse—some featuring infants and toddlers. Federal agents arrested Austin Sewell, 25, on July 24, after searching his home in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. He has been charged with receipt …

Goldsboro’s CBS affiliate reports: According to officials, 30-year-old Shelton Kelsey Burkart was charged with 5 counts of second degree sexual exploitation of a minor and 5 counts of third degree sexual exploitation of a minor after the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation seized his electronic devices at his church. NC SBI said Burkart was the pastor at Zion Global …

Erie’s Fox affiliate reports: On Tuesday, August 12, the McKean County District Attorney’s Office announced that Daniel Merrick, a pastor in Smethport, was sentenced for possessing nearly 700 images and videos of child porn after attempting to withdraw a plea agreement. Merrick claimed he was in possession of the content “as part of an investigation he had undertaken for law …

Houston’s ABC affiliate reports: “Hundreds” of images of child pornography were found on a computer that allegedly belonged to a youth church volunteer who has since been arrested, Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office said. Kevin Hartgrove, 45, was taken into custody at his home on Wednesday and charged with two felony counts of possession of child pornography, which carries …

The Independent reports: A 34-year-old youth pastor in Virginia is facing federal charges over allegations he posed as a teenage boy to exchange nude photos and videos with young girls, telling one of them last month that it was “time for her to see her first d**k,” according to an FBI probable cause affidavit. Throughout the conversation, Jacob Ryan Barnett …

The Washington Post reports: He was the personification of shame in the Vatican, the lone prisoner in the three-cell jail of the world’s smallest sovereign state. Now, the Rev. Carlo Alberto Capella — convicted of possessing and distributing a “large quantity” of child pornography while serving as a Vatican diplomat in Washington — is presenting Pope Leo XIV, the new …

The Daily Beast reports: A fervent Trump supporter who said that he was casting his 2024 vote to fight child trafficking is now being charged with 10 counts of possessing child pornography. Scott Soucek of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, was arrested on July 24 and accused of accessing hundreds of child pornography images through a file-sharing system. Soucek isn’t just a …

The Osceola Gazette reports: A man the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office says served as a youth pastor at a Kissimmee church, the eldest son of its lead pastor, is charged with sharing and storing child sexual abuse material. Ezequiel Rodriguez, 22, of St. Cloud was charged Thursday with ten second-degree felony counts of possession of photos or videos of sexual …

West Palm Beach’s ABC affiliate reports: Bond was set at $360,000 for Fort Pierce Commissioner James Taylor during his first appearance at the St. Lucie County Courthouse on Friday. Taylor is facing 24 felony counts related to a multistate investigation of child exploitation. In court, the judge read out charges that range from solicitation of child pornography to harmful communication …

The Christian Post reports: Former My Faith Votes CEO Jason Yates, a prominent conservative Christian activist, has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography, months after his arrest. Yates pleaded guilty to two of the eight felony counts of possession of child pornography that he had been charged with last year, in return for the dismissal of the other six counts. …

Kansas City’s Fox affiliate reports: A former staff member at a church in Peculiar, Missouri, has been sentenced after pleading guilty to child pornography. Andrew Lovisone, 30, of Greenwood, was sentenced on Monday morning in Cass County court to 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. He pleaded guilty on May 6 to two counts of promoting child pornography. …

The Sacramento Bee reports: A Sacramento County man, who was convicted for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol and later pardoned by President Donald Trump, was convicted on Tuesday of possessing child pornography. After a one‑day trial, a jury in federal court found Kyle Travis Colton, 37, of Citrus Heights, guilty of one count …

Paducah, Kentucky’s NBC affiliate reports: On June 25, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the family of an 11-year-old girl, reporting that the pastor of their church had requested she send him photos of her body. According to MCSO, the following investigation identified the suspect as Pastor Clarence Barry Hungerford. Hungerford was subsequently arrested, admitting both that he …

Orlando’s NBC affiliate reports: David R. McKeown, a 47-year-old sixth-grade teacher from Holly Hill, was arrested for possessing child pornography and sexual activities involving animals on Friday, the Holly Hill Police Department said. On Saturday morning, McKeown made his first appearance before a judge. McKeown was arrested for 19 counts of possession of child pornography and six counts of sexual …

Miami’s ABC affiliate reports: A former youth pastor convicted of “placing a hidden camera in the girls’ bathroom” at a Christian camp in Oregon is now facing new disturbing charges ― this time in South Florida, according to a federal criminal complaint. Authorities said they nabbed Jacob Melvin Hart, 45, of San Juan Capistrano, California, with child sexual abuse videos …

Law & Crime reports: Kyle Travis Colton, 38, was arrested in December 2023 and charged with five counts in a 15-page criminal complaint and statement of facts after he allegedly told passengers on a flight from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles “that he was part of the ‘second wave’ of rioters.” In October 2024, Colton pleaded guilty to one count …

South Carolina’s The State reports: State Rep. Robert “RJ” May of Lexington County, who founded a hard-line conservative House faction and ran campaigns against fellow Republicans, is in law enforcement custody facing potential federal charges. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina, which has been investigating May after seizing various computer hardware at his house last year, declined comment. The …

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports: A former North Texas pastor and elementary school volunteer faces charges related to possession of material depicting the sexual abuse of children, officials said. Lewisville police issued arrest warrants for Jim Mustain on April 23, the department said in a statement. Mustain, former community pastor at Frisco’s Preston Trail Community Church, was extradited to North …

Winston-Salem’s NBC affiliate reports: A Siler City pastor accused of possessing child pornography is facing multiple charges, according to the Siler City Police Department. Nelson Chay, 57, is charged with 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. In April, the department received an online tip about Chay, a pastor at Casa de Dios. Chay is accused of using …

From the Justice Department: A former youth pastor was sentenced today for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and Possession of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Chaz Chinsethagid, 34, of Jenks, to serve 168 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Chinsethagid will also be required …