PEORIA (IL)
WMBD [Peoria, IL]
January 29, 2026
By Andy Kravetz
The former pastor of a Downtown Peoria church will be allowed to remain out of custody pending trial on allegations he sent inappropriate pictures to a boy last summer.
Michael S. Ritchason, 48, of Pekin, appeared in Tazewell County Circuit Court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to the single felony count of dissemination of harmful materials, a felony that could send him to prison for up to three years.
He was charged last month and Thursday’s brief court hearing was his first. Prosecutors did not seek to detain him but asked for some conditions which included allowing pretrial release officers to have access to any electronic device that was connected to the internet.
He was also ordered to remain away from a minor whose name was redacted. He will next appear in court on Feb. 26.
According to a probable cause statement filed in court, Ritchason was allegedly sending inappropriate pictures to a boy in August through the Snapchat social media platform. The boy used his sister’s phone to record the conversation, which lasted about 20 minutes, according to the statement.
He was arrested in October by Pekin police.
In October, he was listed as the lead pastor at Riverside Community Church. At the time of his arrest, a person who answered the phone confirmed that he is still a pastor there. They declined to comment further. But on Tuesday, the church’s website said he is currently “on leave.”
But in late December, the church cut ties with him, saying in a statement, “On Sunday, Dec. 28, the elders determined that Riverside would require Michael’s resignation, and we received it on Monday morning. In the best interest of the church, we will be moving forward with the process of formally appointing a new Lead Pastor.”