The senior pastor of Palmetto's Palm View Baptist Church, Jonathan Elwing, was arrested on June 21 on charges of possession of child pornography.
The 18 felony counts against 43-year-old Elwing stemmed from explicit photos of minors that detectives found on his phone.
Elwing Used Cryptocurrency to Make Online Purchases of Child Sexual Abuse
On June 20, detectives received information that Elwing used cryptocurrency to make an online purchase of child sexual abuse material.
A search warrant was executed on June 21 at the church and Elwing's home. Detectives found four sexually explicit images of children on his cell phone. Probable cause was developed to charge Elwing with four counts of Possession of Child Pornography.
According to an arrest report, Elwing said he sometimes purchases adult pornography and claimed that he deletes any child sexual abuse material that "may get mixed in."
During Investigation Detectives Found Images of Elwing Sexually Battering Child on His Phone
On June 27, as the investigation continued, 14 additional felony charges were filed against Elwing: two counts of Capital Sexual Battery, six counts of Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material, and six counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material.
A forensic search of Elwing's cell phone revealed images he took of himself sexually battering a 2-year-old child along with the production and possession of 12 images of child pornography. Investigators found Elwing was using a private photo vault app to hide the images.
Elwing resigned from his position as pastor of the church before being arrested. He was taken into custody and booked at the Manatee County Jail, where he remains. The investigation is ongoing. Manatee County Sheriff's Office says there may be additional charges.
