Florida Pastor Used Cryptocurrencies to Buy Child Porn Online; Arrested by Authorities for Alleged Transaction
A Christian pastor was apprehended in Florida on Friday for allegedly purchasing child pornography online, as reported by local law enforcement.
A senior pastor of Palm View Baptist Church in Palmetto, Florida, Jonathan Edward Elwing, has been charged with four counts of possession of child sexual abuse images, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
An arrest has been made following an investigation by detectives from the sheriff’s office. They received information on Thursday regarding Elwing’s use of cryptocurrency to make an online purchase of the images.
During the execution of a search warrant at Elwing’s home and church, authorities discovered four “sexually explicit photos of children” on his cellphone, as stated in the sheriff’s office’s press release.
Elwing resigned from his job prior to being arrested, according to the press release from the sheriff’s office. Elwing is currently being detained at the Manatee County Jail without the possibility of being released on bond as reported by Newsweek.
The investigation is currently underway, and the sheriff’s office is urging individuals who have any information regarding potential crimes involving Elwing to contact them at (941) 747-3011.
Alternatively, individuals can choose to remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward by reaching out to Manatee County Crime Stoppers at (866) 634-8477 (TIPS) or through the Crime Stoppers website.