The senior pastor of Palm View Baptist Church, Jonathan Edward Elwing, was arrested on June 21 for possession of child pornography. The 18 felony counts against Elwing stem from explicit photos of minors that detectives found on his phone.
On June 20, detectives received information that Elwing used cryptocurrency to make an online purchase of child sexual abuse material. 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 of him sexually battering a child along with the production and possession of 12 images of child pornography.