A Virginia youth pastor has been arrested after allegedly posing as a teenager online to solicit explicit images from a teen girl. Jacob Barnett, 34, of Catawba Valley Baptist Church was arrested last week following an FBI investigation.
In a press release, the district attorney’s office said that the FBI began investigating the case after receiving a tip that an individual was allegedly grooming a 15-year-old Michigan girl online. In May, the victim had begun direct messaging on TikTok with someone using a profile that identified as a teen boy named “Jodie Johnson.”
“Johnson” exchanged phone numbers with the victim and “through persistent messaging over the next few days” convinced the victim to send him explicit images of herself.
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Authorities found that the “Jodie Johnson” account was linked to Barnett’s phone number and that he “routinely interacted with young people.” Barnett’s TikTok account “appeared to be following thousands of minor girls.”
According to WSET, the authorities were contacted after the victim’s mother discovered the messages on her daughter’s phone and googled Barnett’s phone number. Phone records revealed that Barnett was allegedly texting the victim while conversing with his wife on the phone.
Barnett was also found to have been using other platforms, such as Snapchat and Discord, to contact minors.
“While the charges against Mr. Barnett are just allegations at this point, the facts presented do serve as a reminder for all parents to be aware of what their children are doing online,” said United States Attorney C. Todd Gilbert. “Our kids occupy a world where those seeking to harm them have countless avenues, like TikTok, Discord, Snapchat and others, to reach across vast distances directly into their bedrooms.”
“Please, monitor their online activity, talk to them about the dangers that are out there, and let them know how to report folks who try to exploit them online,” Gilbert added.
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Ann Busby, the acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Richmond division, said, “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.”
