MUNCY (PA)
NorthcentralPA.com [Williamsport PA]
May 7, 2026
By Brett Crossley
A family pastor in Georgia pretended to be a child online, enticing young boys to send sexually graphic images and videos of themselves, police said.
John Taylor Moreland, a student and family pastor at the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Macon, GA, was caught when a parent found concerning photos of their child in a message thread, according to Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Josiah Reiner.
The parent called the photos “concerning” before reaching out to state police. The witness claimed comments on a video the boy posted on Tiktok prompted her to take the child’s phone, which she then discovered pornography on, Reiner said.
A chain of messages with sexually graphic images of the child and others were exchanged with the handle “Jamesq6815.” A parent of the victim attempted to contact the account, which quickly blocked the child and removed photos and videos from the chat, according to Reiner.
The 10-year-old boy said Moreland contacted him in December of 2025 and asked if he had a bathroom at his home.
The child was hesitant, but said he did what Moreland asked him to do on the videos, Reiner said. The victim claimed he only knew Moreland through Snapchat.
A search warrant for Moreland’s Instagram account was granted and returned on March 30. There were more than 135 videos and 20 images of “nude and exposed genitalia of pubescent boys, pre-pubescent boys, and at least one diapered male toddler” found on Moreland’s phone, Reiner said.
Moreland pretended to be a young girl named either “Alexis” or “Amanda” when reaching out to children online. He isolated them by asking if they had a bedroom or bathroom in the home. Moreland would then pressure them for nude photos and videos. To help convince the children of his alter ego, Moreland would send nude pictures of unknown girls to the victims.
An examination of Moreland’s IP address placed him at the “Lofts at Zebulon” in Macon, GA, according to Reiner. Moreland was the only person living in the apartment.
Police also learned Moreland’s Snapchat account was used from the Mount Zion Baptist Church on Dec. 22 of 2025. Members of the church told police the building was closed that day. Moreland’s Snapchat account was active inside the church for more than an hour, Reiner said.
Moreland is being charged with 6,770 counts of second-degree felony sexual abuse of children to go with corruption of minors, photographing sex acts with children, unlawful contact with a minor, and criminal use of a cell phone. All are felonies.
Moreland was denied bail during his initial court appearance.