Title: “If You Wanna Know Who’s Preying on Your Kids, You Should Google Your Youth Pastor”
Description: For decades, Conservative Christian organizations have claimed that transgender and queer individuals are a threat to children’s safety and used this as justification to create legislation, policies, and even a culture that endangers them. However, data suggests that authority figures within the Church are much more likely to abuse children (Click here for study.) The following is a list of 74 suspects arrested on suspicion of child abuse who are also affiliated with their local church, with their name and sources documenting their arrest underneath. Beneath this paragraph is the link to the aforementioned article as well, in the event that the hyperlink doesn’t work for you.
Please be warned, this is extremely disturbing. I felt nauseous compiling these mugshots, especially with how easy it was to find one after another without zero issues or shortage. Most of them were all from a single year–2025–as well. However, it’s important to provide concrete examples when we talk about religious abuse. Feel free to visit our “Affirmations” page after if you need tools to support your mental health.
I also found a subreddit dedicated to this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/PastorArrested/
Source:
https://lailluminator.com/2024/03/20/drag-queens/
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[!!LAST CHANCE!!]
1: Jerry Zweitzig: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/former-pennsylvania-pastor-charged-multiple-child-exploitation-offenses
2: Thomas Pinkerton Jr.: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/thomas-pinkerton-youth-pastor-arrested-sex-abuse-baltimore-maryland-rcna224311
3: Jon Paul Sheptock: https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/montgomery-county-man-child-sex-abuse-material-charges-investigation/285-9cd115c0-4a5d-4093-82fd-89cf2f7e462d
4: Matthew Stephen Masiewicz: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/nampa-pastor-2m-bond-child-004225870.html
5: Jose Saez, Jr.: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/long-island-pastor-pleads-guilty-sexual-exploitation-child
6. Ashley James Crouse: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/pr/pastor-sentenced-10-years-possession-and-receipt-child-sexual-abuse-material
7: Brett Jarad Monroe: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/former-north-texas-pastor-sentenced-more-24-years-child-exploitation
8: William Jones: https://www.wbaltv.com/article/church-pastor-teacher-william-jones-sex-abuse-minors-denied-bond/65530022
9: Robert Preston Morris: https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/12/us/texas-megachurch-pastor-child-sexual-abuse-hnk
10: Shelton Burkart: https://www.wral.com/news/local/warren-county-pastor-arrested-child-sex-charges-august-2025-north-carolina-sbi/
11: Devin Carroll: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/crime/2025/07/09/pastor-school-employee-arrested-child-molestation-devin-carroll/84519903007/
12: Jonathan Elwing: https://www.manateesheriff.com/_T24_R263.php
13: Daniel Menelaou: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-17/former-futures-church-pastor-daniel-menelaou-arrested-in-us/105060940
14: Nathan Wayne Walker: https://www.christianpost.com/news/youth-pastor-arrested-on-child-porn-charges-2-weeks-after-leaving.html
15: Bruce Hollen: https://www.nealdavislaw.com/blog/child-pornography/woodlands-pastor-sentenced-child-pornography/
16: Myron and Kathleen Chorbajian: https://www.wyff4.com/article/greenville-county-pastor-child-sex-crimes/64891625
17: Paul Havsgaard: https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/09/18/lawsuits-accuse-former-pastor-of-megachurch-in-riverside-of-child-sex-abuse-in-bucharest/
18: Johel LaFaurie: https://www.keranews.org/news/2025-01-15/another-north-texas-pastor-arrested-on-child-sexual-abuse-charge-court-records-show
19: Jeffrey Brent Martin: https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/crime/former-tyler-county-coach-youth-pastor-convicted-of-sexual-assault-of-child/502-dc403657-9804-49a5-acd4-a2eb3fb7238e
20: Dominic J. Foor: https://abc6onyourside.com/newsletter-daily/dominic-foor-accused-sexually-assaulting-adopted-children-pickaway-county-circleville-ohio-columbus
21: Bernadel Semexant: https://www.wtoc.com/2025/09/18/house-prayer-christian-church-pastor-indicted-various-sex-offenses-involving-minor/
22: Jeffrey Williams Zabe: https://churchleaders.com/news/1118854-jeffrey-williams-zabel-accused-possession-child-sex-abuse-material.htmll
23: Dan Noyes: https://abc7news.com/post/richmond-pastor-victor-hernandez-pineda-pleads-guilty-child-sexual-abuse/15543913/
24: John W. Radcliff II and Kathy Radcliff: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/27/us/youth-pastor-sex-crimes-west-virginia.html
25: Rodger Strong: https://www.21alivenews.com/2025/03/19/orland-pastor-arrested-several-child-molestation-charges/
26: Stephen Hutto: https://www.koaa.com/news/crime/former-fountain-youth-pastor-arrested-for-sexual-assault-on-a-child-by-one-in-a-position-of-trust
27: Zachary Radcliff: https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/michigan-church-youth-director-faces-new-felony-charges-sexual-abuse-case/
28: John William Lovelace: https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2022/05/05/sheriff-66-year-old-pastor-arrested-child-sexual-abuse-charges-involving-minor-under-15/
29: Samuel Joaquín Flore: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/28/la-luz-del-mundo-church-sex-trafficking-conspiracy-charges
30: James Vincent Henry: https://www.thv11.com/article/news/crime/arkansas-pastor-charged-100-counts-child-sex-crimes/91-b1879cdc-8602-43ba-935c-1fc34e3fa3b5
31: David Lloyd Walther: https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-texas-pastors-charged-abusing-children-1765910
32: Paul Dyal, Jerome Teschendorf, Vernon Williamson: https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/crime/2022/03/10/jacksonville-florida-church-pastor-arrested-child-sexual-battery-charge/6990823001/
33: Juan Barrios: https://iecn.com/riverside-church-pastor-arrested-for-sexual-abuse-of-children-released-on-500k-bail/
34: Rev. Alan J. Martineau: https://www.telegram.com/story/news/crime/2025/09/27/worcester-diocese-priest-alan-martineau-indecent-assault-plea-deal/86374332007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=false&gca-epti=z118717p119750c119750e007000v118717&gca-ft=18&gca-ds=sophi
35: Donnie Ray Birchfield: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrime/videos/pastors-son-held-4-people-captive-in-basement-for-years-police/1456231825634649/
36: Bertheophilus Maurice Bailey: https://ktul.com/news/local/local-pastor-faces-charges-including-rape-and-child-abuse-church-christian-st-andrew-wednesday-count-arrest-first-degree-incest-burglary-claremore-mt-zion-baptist-senior-police-officer-tulsa
37: Matthew Tague: https://www.10news.com/news/carlsbad-pastor-arrested-on-child-molestation-charges
38: Zachary King: https://www.lex18.com/news/lexington-pastor-arrested-facing-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-charges-involving-a-minor
39: Daniel R. Lamppin: https://www.aol.com/youth-pastor-faces-felony-charges-170637595.html
40: Jacob Barnett: https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/virginia-youth-pastor-arrested-for-soliciting-explicit-materials-from-minors/
41: Ruel "JR" Barbee: https://www.fox4news.com/news/ruel-barbee-oasis-church-youth-pastor-arrest
42: Chadwick Branch: https://www.wmbfnews.com/2025/02/13/former-pastor-charged-allegedly-found-with-voluminous-amount-child-sexual-abuse-material/
43: Peter William Cooper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F3XMudpCG4
44: Keith and Candy Holt: https://kfor.com/news/local/blackwell-pastor-and-wife-arrested-for-alleged-child-abuse-kidnapping-neglect/
45: Gary Keesee Jr.: https://www.wtrf.com/news/ohio-church-rocked-by-rape-charges-against-pastors-son-former-staff-member/
46: Daniel Savala: https://www.kbtx.com/2024/02/01/harris-county-lawsuit-alleges-brazos-valley-church-leaders-knew-about-child-sexual-abuse/
47: Roy Shoop: https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/local-regional/2020-05-21/inola-pastor-arrested-following-accusations-of-rape-molestation-of-children
48: David Ryan: https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/lake-zurich-pastor-fr-david-192048871.html
49: Joshua Lucero: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ynAlqlDrQs
50: Albert Wharton: https://julieroys.com/elderly-virginia-pastor-receives-8-year-sentence-for-child-sex-crimes-due-to-plea-deal/
51: Bramwell Bernardo Retana: https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/sex-crimes/las-vegas-pastor-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-child-over-several-years-1918645/
52: Hollis Vaughn: https://www.mytexasdaily.com/news/houston-area-pastor-arrested-charged-with-continuous-sexual-abuse-of-a-child/article_cc2b7e72-7180-11e7-bc80-bf5510557b08.html
53: Rev. Kenneth Harold Daniel: https://ministrywatch.com/alabama-pastor-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-7-year-old/
54: Rev. Jonathan Smith: https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/pastor-sexually-assaulted-child-police/1943774/
55: Jose Mora: https://tucson.com/article_733a4dd5-5a1c-4782-9506-c00804cb2820.html
56: Rev. Stricjavvar Strickland: https://www.foxnews.com/us/michigan-pastor-stricjavvar-strickland-child-trafficking-sex-abuse
57: Nicholas Kelley: https://www.fox4news.com/news/youth-pastor-arrested-for-sexual-misconduct-with-14-year-old-girl
58: Christopher Hundl & Daniel Savala (Savala Previously Listed): https://www.kwtx.com/2023/09/14/ex-campus-minister-baylor-university-spiritual-mentor-indicted-charges-they-sexually-abused-boys/
59: Ruben Garcia: https://www.kxan.com/news/austin-pastor-charged-with-sex-assault-of-child-also-led-youth-ministry/
60: Robert “Bobby” Price: https://www.charlottenc.gov/cmpd/News-Information/Newsroom/Convicted-Sex-Offender-Facing-New-Charges
61: Matthew Dennis Patterson (Also vocally anti-queer): https://www.wkrn.com/news/longtime-nashville-pastor-arrested-for-allegedly-molesting-children-at-church/1090071922/
62: Isaac Tilden: https://www.ky3.com/2025/09/20/niangua-mo-pastor-charged-with-alleged-child-abuse/
63: Randy Johnson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mudJIo0s0Ns
64: Sean Aveilhe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocUu8qTCOBU
65: Pastor Walter Chuquimia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQk9NXwF-ZY
66: David Hebling: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-02-21/riverside-county-pastor-arrested-on-child-sexual-assault-charges
67: Dicky Tiller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSPlcC1oo5s
68: Jason Thomas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5sK3fBCr2g