Pastor charged, accused of sexually abusing five children in Anne Arundel County
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — Authorities in Anne Arundel County said they have charged a pastor for allegedly sexually abusing at least five children while working as a teacher at a Christian academy in Millersville.
The Anne Arundel County Police Department (AACOPD) said it first responded to Elvaton Christian Academy on May 1 after a student’s mother filed a sex offense complaint.
The mother reported that a former teacher had engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior toward her child.
While at the scene, officers met with another parent who reported that her child had gone through a similar experience.
Jones is also affiliated with the global missionary organization Mission Fields International.
As of July 2025, AACOPD said it has identified five of his alleged victims.
Jones was charged with sexual abuse of a minor, child abuse and related offenses.
He was arrested without incident on July 25.
Though an arrest has been made, detectives are urging anyone with information regarding these incidents or about Jones himself to contact the Child Abuse Unit at 410-222-4733. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 410-222-4700.
Leading Conservative Activist Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Sex Abuse Material
The former leader of a nonprofit urging Christians to vote their values has pleaded guilty to two felony counts of possession of child sex abuse material.
Jason Yates, former CEO of Fort Worth-based My Faith Votes, filed a guilty plea July 21 in McLeod County, Minnesota, to two felony counts of possession of pornography involving minors under 14. If the deal is accepted by the court, six additional counts of possession of child sex abuse material will be dismissed.
Conditions of the plea deal include supervised probation for up to five years, 240 days in jail, a psychosexual evaluation, no contact with females under the age of 14 and registration as a sex offender.
The court released Yates on his own recognizance, according to a court document signed July 22. It requires Yates not to have contact with females younger than 14 years old, not possess or use any pornographic or sexually explicit material, and to post a $100,000 bond.
A sentencing hearing is set for Sept. 29.
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Yates, 56, did not respond to a request for comment from The Roys Report (TRR).
Yates was charged with eight counts of possession of child sex abuse material in November 2024. If he had been found guilty in court, Yates could have faced up to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine for each count.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) began investigating Yates in July 2024. According to a probable cause affidavit, an unnamed witness provided the agency with a hard drive containing more than 100 images of child sexual abuse material.
The witness told investigators that a relative of Yates discovered the images on the hard drive in Yates’ office while attempting to use it for additional computer storage. The relative gave the hard drive to the witness.
Investigators determined some of the files were downloaded in February and March 2023 and that some had been accessed in July 2024.
In September 2024, Yates told BCA agents he had a prior conviction related to child sexual abuse material that had been expunged. My Faith Votes did not respond to previous questions from TRR about whether the organization knew about Yates’ past conviction when it appointed him CEO.
My Faith Votes is “a non-partisan movement that motivates, equips and activates Christians in America to vote in every election, transforming our communities and influencing our nation with biblical truth,” according to its website.
My Faith Votes cut ties with Yates in early August 2024, according to a statement the nonprofit sent TRR in November 2024. At that time, the board appointed Chris Sadler as acting CEO.
My Faith Votes did not respond to a request for comment or updated information on who is leading the nonprofit. Its website no longer lists those serving in leadership positions.
Honorary national chairmen of My Faith Votes have included Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate; and Dr. Ben Carson, a neurosurgeon and former Republican presidential candidate.
In 2015, My Faith Votes was founded by Sealy Yates, a lawyer and literary agent who has represented several top Christian authors. Sealy Yates is Jason Yates’ uncle.
My Faith Votes brochure distributed Fall 2020 (Image via social media)
Former Mormon missionary arrested in Pittsburgh, accused of sexually abusing minors in Tonga
A former missionary was arrested Thursday in Pittsburgh on accusations that he sexually abused several minors while in Tonga.
William James Purdy, 28, of West Valley, Utah, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 16 on charges related to the exploitation of minors outside the United States.
Court documents say Purdy traveled to Tonga in 2017 for his mission with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While there, he allegedly sexually abused multiple underage boys, according to a media release from the Department of Justice. Purdy then returned to Tonga in late 2019 to teach at a school in Nuku'alofa.
Purdy is alleged to have groomed and sexually abused "numerous" male students over several years.
He allegedly provided gifts, including electronic devices and internet access, food, toys, and money, in exchange for performing sexual acts, authorities say. Purdy is also alleged to have recorded underage boys in his bathroom at his various Tonga apartments without their knowledge.
Purdy was arrested by Tonga police in October 2022, when an eight‑year‑old boy disclosed that Purdy sexually assaulted him during a tutoring sessions. When Purdy was released from jail, he allegedly continued to sexually abuse children. In March 2023, just before his scheduled trial, Purdy fled Tonga using an assumed identity and returned to Utah.
By this point in the investigation, 14 minors were identified as abuse victims throughout Tonga.
"The defendant in this case chose to travel abroad under the guise of good intentions and then sexually exploited and abused children who had been trusted to his care," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "When foreign authorities sought to hold him accountable, he fled back to the United States. The United States will not export child exploitation. The Justice Department is committed to securing justice for children exploited overseas when these heinous acts are committed by Americans."
"William James Purdy's actions represent a profound betrayal of trust and have caused immeasurable harm to the young lives he was supposed to protect and nurture," said Special Agent in Charge Edward V. Owens of Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia. "HSI's global reach and partnerships are crucial in our relentless fight against child predators, ensuring that those who exploit and abuse children, no matter where they are, are brought to justice. We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society and will continue to work tirelessly to prevent such heinous crimes."
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