Pastor Used Church's Internet to Upload Child Porn: Police

A Tennessee pastor allegedly used his own church's internet to upload child porn, according to police.

Police in Williamson County, south of Nashville, apprehended Daryl Hayes, 50, after being alerted to allegations.

Officers started to investigate Hayes after receiving a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning the alleged upload of child sex abuse material.

During the investigation, police learned Hayes allegedly uploaded it from the internet connection at a local church, where he was the pastor.

A Williamson County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) Facebook post shared on April 18 stated: "The investigation led to a search warrant being executed at the church and Hayes' residence. Neither Hayes' family, nor the church, were aware of Hayes' activities.

"The church was fully cooperative and Hayes was terminated from his position immediately. Nothing in this investigation led detectives to believe there were any local child victims or any additional concerns for the public."

Police arrested Hayes following a Williamson County Grand Jury indictment for six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

People who have any questions or concerns about the case have been asked to contact investigator paul.lusk@williamsoncounty-tn.gov.

According to the Tennessee Department of Health, in 2020 there were 5,284 victims of sexual assault in the state.

It added of those victims, 914 were aged between 0 and 9, 814 were between 10 and 13, and 1,049 were aged between 14 to 17.

The victims of sexual assault in 2020 were overwhelmingly women with 4,661 cases being recorded in comparison to 616 men.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in four girls and one in 13 boys in the U.S. experiences child sexual abuse.

It added: "Someone known and trusted by the child or child's family members, perpetrates 91 percent of child sexual abuse.

"The total lifetime economic burden of child sexual abuse in the United States in 2015 was estimated to be at least $9.3 billion."

Newsweek has contacted the WCSO for comment via email.

Earlier this month, a Florida youth pastor was accused of using a church Wi-Fi to access child pornography.

Edward Wilds III of Palatka, Florida, was apprehended on April 14 and was charged with possession of child pornography, according to a report by the Miami Herald.

He is alleged to have stayed behind after a Wednesday night service at Palatka Baptist Temple sometime last spring and used the church's internet connection to download child sexual material, with tens of thousands of such images being found on devices associated with him over the course of the investigation.