Two former pastors face charges involving child sexual abuse material

Two separate legal cases involving former religious leaders and allegations of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) have been reported in the United States.

In Kentucky, Jared Oneil Salmons, 48, the pastor of Mount Olivet Baptist Church in Cornettsville, was arrested following an Internet Crimes Against Children investigation. Kentucky State Police allege Salmons uploaded sexually explicit images of juveniles to a social media account and admitted to creating AI-generated images. Salmons, who previously served as general manager of the Knott County Water and Sewer District, faces 17 counts of distributing matter portraying sexual performances by minors under 12. He is currently held on a $50,000 cash bond.

In South Carolina, Richard Channing “Chan” Shealy, 54, has been hit with a federal indictment involving nine charges related to the production, distribution, and possession of CSAM. Federal prosecutors allege Shealy produced images involving the same child in 2004 and 2006 and distributed material through a peer-to-peer network in early 2026. These federal charges follow previous state-level charges against Shealy involving allegations of sexual assault of a minor.