Former youth pastor John Tyler Moreland faces more than 7,000 counts tied to child sexual abuse. The 30-year-old Georgia man has been charged in Pennsylvania with 6,770 counts of possessing child sexual abuse material and related crimes.
Moreland, a former Baptist youth pastor, teacher, and coach, was arrested in April in Houston County, Georgia. Authorities then extradited him to Lycoming County in north central Pennsylvania, where the case continues.
Charges Include Contacting Minors
Court records show Moreland also faces 135 counts of causing or knowingly permitting a child to engage in a prohibited sexual act. He faces another 135 counts of contacting a minor for the purpose of sexual abuse.
Prosecutors also charged him with corrupting a minor and using a communications facility for criminal activity. Together, the charges fill a 475-page docket sheet and point to a sprawling investigation.
Investigation Began With Parent’s Report
The investigation began in December after a Lycoming County parent contacted police. The parent found inappropriate content on a 10-year-old child’s phone that had been shared with someone on Snapchat.
Investigators said Moreland used Snapchat to contact children while pretending to be a girl named Alexis or Amanda. Police said he convinced children to record themselves while nude, and they found images and videos involving boys of all ages.
Georgia Church Fired Moreland
Moreland began working in June 2025 as a youth pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Bolingbroke, Georgia. Before that, he worked from 2019 to 2021 as a history teacher and middle school football and wrestling coach at Trinity Christian School in Dublin.
Pennsylvania police traced downloads of explicit images to a location near the church. U.S. marshals arrested Moreland after authorities alerted local law enforcement, and the church fired him after his arrest.
Supporters and Detractors Voice Concerns
Supporters of the investigation point to the parents’ report, police work, and church cooperation as vital steps because children faced alleged exploitation. Detractors and defense concerns center on due process, the massive charge count, and the need for evidence to be tested in court.
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