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Two Texas men, including the former head pastor at a local church, were indicted on child pornography-related charges connected with crimes that date back as far as 2016, court papers show.
A federal grand jury indicted 48-year-old David Pettigrew – who, until recently, was the head pastor at Denison Church of the Nazarene in Denison –and Chad Michael Rider, 46, on charges of conspiring to sexually exploit children, which is also known as production of child pornography, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a Tuesday press release. Pettigrew was also charged with transporting child pornography.
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Federal investigators with Homeland Security Investigations were first flagged to Pettigrew’s alleged crimes by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and “two electronic surveillance providers,” the Justice Department said.
“The investigation has revealed that a number of children were surreptitiously photographed in private locations or outside of the presence of their parents,” the release states.
Investigators arrested Pettigrew after searching his home and the Denison Church of the Nazarene on Aug. 6. He was later handed over to the U.S. Marshal Service. Investigators later searched Rider’s home on Aug. 21.
David Alan Pettigrew (YouTube)
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The Church of the Nazarene did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment on Wednesday.
A cached webpage that has since been taken down from the Church of the Nazarene’s site showed Pettigrew had served as the pastor since 2006. It was not immediately clear when he stepped away from the role. He had previously served as pastor for the Church of the Nazarene in McCrory, Ark.
The indictment, which was filed on Aug. 19 but was initially sealed, shows investigators recovered at least two images that Pettigrew allegedly sent via email at the end of May 2020. Both images showed underage females either fully nude or with their genitals exposed, the indictment alleges.
The indictment further alleges the pair “did conspire and attempt to employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce minor victims … to engage in sexually explicit conduct.”
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Both Pettigrew and Rider entered not guilty pleas. If convicted, they face up to 30 years in prison.
Federal investigators ask any person who has information about the case, possible victims, or "any possible private interactions with Pettigrew or Rider" to contact Homeland Security Investigations.