LOUISIANA
KSLA
[with video]
By Jeff Ferrell, Reporter
STONEWALL, LA (KSLA) –
An ArkLaTex youth pastor and North DeSoto High School student have been arrested and charged with pornography involving juveniles, according to the Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Detective Adam Ewing says they arrested 25-year-old Zachary Almarode on Thursday night along with 18-year-old Lauren Maschino.
Ewing says the arrests came as the result of a tip from a”concerned subject” about possible inappropriate contact on school property between a youth minister and a student. Investigators determined that the contact did not take place on school property, but child pornography was allegedly found on cellular devices belong to both Almarode and Maschino.
Almarode works as a youth pastor at Salem Baptist Church in Stonewall and was approaching his third anniversary on the job. Pastor Dr. Mike Hawkins confirmed Friday morning that Almarode was terminated from that position after word of the arrest.
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