A youth minister here was arrested yesterday by Rutherford County authorities who allege that he has committed several offenses involving some type of sexual exploitation of minors.
Daniel J. Lowhorn, 29, of W. Whitehall Road, Cookeville, a youth minister at Midway Baptist Church on Old Kentucky Road, is charged with 14 counts of sexual exploitation-related offenses, according to Rutherford County Sheriff’s Detective Mickey McCullough.
More about Lowhorn from the Upper Cumberland Daily News:
Daniel Lowhorn, 29, is a Cookeville native well known for his musical and leadership skills and for his commitment to his faith.
In addition to his work as the part-time Youth Pastor for Midway Baptist Church, he has been instrumental in collaborating with other leaders to create Christian worship events for youth throughout the region. As owner of LTD “Learning to Walk” productions, Lowhorn provides clients with web design and video production services.
Friends and youth have reacted in disbelief. “It is not true. It cannot be. I just won’t believe that.” Said one friend of over 10 years.
Lowhorn is faced with two counts of solicitation of a minor, two counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and 10 counts of solicitation of a minor to observe sexual conduct, according to Detective Mickey McCullough.
David Esarey, 30, of Newtown, the youth minister at Stepney Baptist Church in Monroe, was charged Wednesday with employing a minor in an obscene performance, third-degree child pornography, and risk of injury to a minor….
Police said the girl later told them she initially went to see Esarey for counseling about the meaning of God and that Esarey was trying to help her understand life. The girl and Esarey began talking about oral sex and sexual intercourse, although they didn’t touch except for the occasional hug, police said. Later e-mail exchanges between the girl and the minister contained sexually explicit images, police said.
Esarey was confronted by police and admitted he had counseled the girl privately, but he denied e-mailing her any photos. He claimed there were a number of male teens interested in having sex with the 15-year-old, and told police they could have used the church computer and his cell phone to send her e-mails.
Wow, that guy is…what is it the kids say?…oh, that right…HAAWWT!!!
Can we ban youth pastors from Seattle? I mean, fuck, california bans marriage of committed couples, so can’t we ban youth pastors who are obviously hurting kids and churches?
maybe someone should take away their right to marry.
wow. these stories keep coming.
definitely no shortage of youth ministers counseling themselves all over minors.
what does it all mean??!!!
What it means is they teach their children to be like them. Subservient to their church and all of it’s myths and superstitions and molesters. Don’t think. Don’t question. Just believe what you are told.
Nice touch, where he tries to throw the blame on the kids.
Just because he is accused does not make him guilty…not all guys are perverts and certainly not all youth ministers. If it was so easy to get on his computer and “stumble across” this picture then doesn’t it stand to reason that it could have just as easily been put there by someone else? Doesn’t any one understand anything about computers? And I don’t know if you’ve been around many teens lately Pam but very often they are to blame. Kids can be pretty stupid and don’t realize the consequences that their actions can bring which is why they don’t get the same rights as adults. For instance what a teen sees as a joke the rest of us would know to be destructive and life altering. I know many people who work w/kids (teachers, youth workers, camp counselors) and have worked w/them in many capacities myself. I have seen the potentially destructive nature of a rumor or a teen crush thwarted. I’m not saying that I know what happened here, I’m just saying that if it becomes so easy to condemn our youth workers there will soon be no one left to take on the job. Then where will that leave us?