Youth Pastor Is Behind Bars After Child Porn Discovery

A Florida youth pastor was arrested Thursday on 10 counts of possession of child pornography, according to a press release from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Lucas Dillon Brandenburg (Brevard County Sheriff's Office)

Lucas Dillon Brandenburg, formerly a youth pastor at St. Gabriel Episcopal Church in Titusville, Florida, was arrested after agents reportedly identified a computer at his home in July that was housing child pornography.

According to WESH-TV, authorities claim they found 10 videos of girls as young as 9 years old performing sexual acts with men and boys.

An arrest affidavit allegedly says the former youth pastor admitted to viewing child porn for more than a decade.

Raw Story published excerpts from a speech that Brandenburg reportedly delivered at the 44th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida last year — an address in which he shared his reasons for becoming a youth pastor; video of these remarks has since been deleted.

"My life is forever changed by the youth ministries that I attended. I went for the camps, I went for games, I went to hang out with my friends, to meet girls obviously," he said. "Despite my wrong motives, I had an encounter with Jesus Christ, I heard his call. And like all who respond to that call, I left my pile of worthless things, and I followed him."

Brandenburg continued, "There are more pitfalls set before young people today than I have time to describe. The fact is we live in a dark world, and a depraved culture.”

The Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida released a statement following the arrest stating that St. Gabriel Episcopal Church had terminated Brandenburg from his position with the Building 418 ministry and that he would not be allowed on church property.

Brandenburg, 30, is being held on $350,000 bond.

(H/T: Raw Story)