(TX)
The Roys Report [Chicago IL]
July 26, 2025
By Ann Marie Shambaugh
The former leader of a nonprofit urging Christians to vote their values has pleaded guilty to two felony counts of possession of child sex abuse material.
Jason Yates, former CEO of Fort Worth-based My Faith Votes, filed a guilty plea July 21 in McLeod County, Minnesota, to two felony counts of possession of pornography involving minors under 14. If the deal is accepted by the court, six additional counts of possession of child sex abuse material will be dismissed.
Conditions of the plea deal include supervised probation for up to five years, 240 days in jail, a psychosexual evaluation, no contact with females under the age of 14 and registration as a sex offender.
The court released Yates on his own recognizance, according to a court document signed July 22. It requires Yates not to have contact with females younger than 14 years old, not possess or use any pornographic or sexually explicit material, and to post a $100,000 bond.
A sentencing hearing is set for Sept. 29.
Yates, 56, did not respond to a request for comment from The Roys Report (TRR).
Yates was charged with eight counts of possession of child sex abuse material in November 2024. If he had been found guilty in court, Yates could have faced up to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine for each count.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) began investigating Yates in July 2024. According to a probable cause affidavit, an unnamed witness provided the agency with a hard drive containing more than 100 images of child sexual abuse material.
The witness told investigators that a relative of Yates discovered the images on the hard drive in Yates’ office while attempting to use it for additional computer storage. The relative gave the hard drive to the witness.
Investigators determined some of the files were downloaded in February and March 2023 and that some had been accessed in July 2024.
In September 2024, Yates told BCA agents he had a prior conviction related to child sexual abuse material that had been expunged. My Faith Votes did not respond to previous questions from TRR about whether the organization knew about Yates’ past conviction when it appointed him CEO.
My Faith Votes is “a non-partisan movement that motivates, equips and activates Christians in America to vote in every election, transforming our communities and influencing our nation with biblical truth,” according to its website.
My Faith Votes cut ties with Yates in early August 2024, according to a statement the nonprofit sent TRR in November 2024. At that time, the board appointed Chris Sadler as acting CEO.
My Faith Votes did not respond to a request for comment or updated information on who is leading the nonprofit. Its website no longer lists those serving in leadership positions.
Honorary national chairmen of My Faith Votes have included Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate; and Dr. Ben Carson, a neurosurgeon and former Republican presidential candidate.
In 2015, My Faith Votes was founded by Sealy Yates, a lawyer and literary agent who has represented several top Christian authors. Sealy Yates is Jason Yates’ uncle.