FALLS CHURCH (VA)
WJLA-TV (ABC) [Arlington VA]
September 15, 2026
By Kendra Mann
A former youth pastor at a northern Virginia church appeared in court Monday after being indicted on charges of sexually abusing children, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Authorities said Jeffrey Turner Taylor, 66, served as a youth pastor at a church in Falls Church from 1990 to 2002. During that time, Taylor allegedly groomed multiple boys by presenting his conduct as spiritual guidance.
“His alleged grooming behaviors included sexual horseplay, probing inquiries into the sexual secrets and habits of boys, and detailed revelations about his own sexual experiences,” the states attorney’s office wrote in a press release sent to 7News.
Authorities said Taylor allegedly took boys to ministry events in other states and countries with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and on several occasions sexually abused or attempted to sexually abuse multiple boys.
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Court documents also allege that Taylor groomed and sexually abused a boy while serving as a youth pastor at two churches in Atlanta.
Investigators believe the alleged abuse occurred between 1990 and 2008.
Taylor, who had been living in Milford, Ohio, is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 24 in the Eastern District of Virginia. If convicted, he could face up to 105 years in prison.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative that coordinates law enforcement to identify, rescue, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children.