A Florida youth director and a Tennessee pastor were arrested for their alleged participation in sex-related crimes against children.
David Nims, 37, a youth director at Pensacola's Calvary Baptist Church was arrested few days later and charged again with 20 child pornography counts after he was detained last month for video voyeurism, reports Baptist Press.
Nims was detained for the first time on June 7 when a 14-year-old kid found a camera hidden under a bathroom sink inside a stall and reported it to the church leaders, who in turn contacted the police.
One of the video clips found on the camera was of a guy retrieving the gadget, which deputies discovered after they reviewed the footage. The witnesses recognized Nims, and he was therefore identified as the culprit.
Nims was freed from prison after being arrested on one count of video voyeurism and posted a $10,000 bail to return home. However, he was apprehended once again.
According to the Pensacola News Journal, two hard drives containing "a little over 100" pictures of child pornography were discovered at his house on June 11 after a search warrant was issued.
Escambia County Jail records show that he was again released on $10,000 bail on June 14th.
Because Nims was the church's youth pastor, he was in charge of overseeing the church's toddlers through elementary school-aged kids.
Pastor Walt Magaha of Calvary Baptist Church issued the following statement to WEARTV:
"We are grieved and saddened by the allegations and circumstances regarding the arrest of Patrick Nims. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement as they conduct their ongoing investigation and stand ready to provide care and ministry toward those involved and/or affected as information is shared with us, if it shared."
In a completely separate incident, a Tennessee pastor was one of 18 men detained during a human trafficking operation on July 8 and 9, according to TBI Newsroom.
According to a press release from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Matthew Brewer, 47, of Centerville, Tenn., "was charged with solicitation of a minor."
The name and picture of Brewer, who was previously posted online as the minister of students at Fairfield Baptist Church in Centerville, were removed off the website on Monday. Brewer was a chaplain in the Tennessee National Guard, according to a report by Nashville television station WSMV.
In a statement sent to WSMV, the Military Department of Tennessee said that it is "aware of the recent arrest" of a National Guard and that the accusations brought against Brewer "do not reflect or meet the standards of the Tennessee National Guard or the Army values."
Additionally, the leadership of Fairfield Baptist Church issued a statement in which they expressed that they were also "shocked and saddened" over the incident and said that they are ready to "work with law enforcement" throughout the whole investigation and prosecution process. Prayers for Brewer's family and the church were also requested.
The arrested men are now being held in the Maury County Jail as the investigation continues, and more charges are expected to be filed against them.
