REPORT: Youth Pastor Allegedly Posed As Teen, Solicited Explicit Images From Girls

A youth pastor reportedly pretended to be a teenage boy online to solicit messages containing explicit imagery with underage girls on various social media platforms.

Jacob Ryan Barnett, 34, was employed as Associate Pastor at the Catawba Valley Baptist Church in Virginia when he was arrested on Wednesday, according to federal court documents obtained by the New York Post. A married man with a 2-year-old son, he allegedly posed as a 17-year-old boy named “Jodie Johnson” to communicate with teen girls.

He contacted a 15-year-old girl and convinced her to send sexually explicit footage of herself to him over the course of days, according to the court records reviewed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Western District of Virginia.

Barnett “repeatedly asked” the girl to send him nude photos in July, to which the girl was hesitant, according to records obtained by the Post. The pastor allegedly sent her a nude photo of himself despite her apprehension.

Late yesterday, FBI Richmond, with assistance from @FBICharlotte and local law enforcement partners, arrested Jacob Ryan Barnett of Catawba, VA for soliciting sexual material from children. We know this is what keeps parents up at night, and as Acting Special Agent in Charge Ann… pic.twitter.com/7jgQJXagV0

— FBI Richmond (@FBIRichmond) August 7, 2025

Barnett messaged a different 15-year-old girl May 19 at 4:30 p.m., then answered a phone call from his wife at 4:32 p.m., court documents alleged. He then allegedly received several images from the girl at 4:33 p.m. and replied a minute after. (RELATED: Man Who Wore Wig, Allegedly Tried Filming Girls In Bathrooms Sentenced To Prison)

The next day, he contacted the girl right before getting a call from his wife, and the teen sent him messages while he and his wife were on the phone, authorities alleged.

The girl’s mother notified the FBI in May after finding explicit messages on her daughter’s phone, according to the probable cause affidavit obtained by the Post. The girl allegedly proved “Johnson” with several nude images and footage. When the mom searched the phone number, she found that it belonged to Barnett, records alleged.

Agents found that Barnett was seemingly following thousands of underage girls on TikTok, according to the USAO. He allegedly also tried to get explicit imagery of minors with Discord and Snapchat accounts.

“The heinous crimes Barnett is charged with are what keep parents up at night. Educating our kids and communities about the threats posed by faceless, online personas is crucial to maintaining their safety,” Ann Busby, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Richmond Division Ann Busby said.

“Working with our partners, FBI Richmond will bring the full weight of the justice system on anyone who attempts to harm our children. The FBI will never stop searching for these predators and bringing justice for victims,” she continued.

Authorities charged Barnett with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. The accused will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years behind bars and up to life in prison if convicted.

The Department of Justice did not respond to the Daily Caller at the time of publication.