Ministry Watch: 'Former VA Youth Pastor Sentenced for Exploiting Girls Online'
"Prosecutors said Barnett targeted at least a dozen girls from across the country, ranging in age from 12 to 17. He followed nearly 7,000 social media accounts — most belonging to young girls — and used TikTok, Snapchat, Discord and other platforms to contact minors. He claimed to be a 17-year-old named “Jodie Johnson” and sent photos of teenage boys that he claimed were pictures of himself. Investigators said Barnett also solicited images from boys to support the false identity he used to approach girls."On Monday, July 27, a judge sentenced a former Virginia youth pastor who posed online as a teenage boy to 20 years in federal prison for attempting to sexually exploit a 15-year-old girl.
Jacob Ryan Barnett, 35, formerly served at Catawba Valley Baptist Church in Troutville, Virginia.
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