NASHVILLE (TN)
WSMV [Nashville TN]
July 8, 2026
By Chasity Maynard
Jason Douglas Ford was a facilities coordinator for Midtown Fellowship’s Central Ministry Team, according to the church’s website.
Editor’s note: This story contains descriptions of child sexual abuse.
An employee of a Nashville church is one of two men arrested Tuesday by Metro Nashville Police after investigators allegedly found they shared videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
In the first case, 34-year-old Jason Douglas Ford is charged with aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor after detectives conducted a seven-month investigation, per a police press release.
Police ask public for more information
Police say he is the facilities coordinator at Midtown Fellowship, and the church’s website lists a Jay Ford as a facilities coordinator for the Central Ministry Team.
“Anyone with information or concerns about his interactions around children is asked to contact detectives at 615-862-7540,” MNPD said.
WSMV4 has reached out to Midtown Fellowship to request a comment and ask if Ford is still employed with the church.
Why did police investigate Ford?
The investigation into Ford started with a tip shared to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in January, police reported. The tipster alerted officials to child sex abuse materials that were allegedly shared via KIK, a messaging app.
“One of the files depicted a nude female child doing a lewd dance, exposing her private areas,” police wrote in a press release.
Eventually, investigators were able to tie Ford’s email address to the KIK account after obtaining a subpoena by the state.
He was arrested at his home on Tuesday, and his bond was set at $75,000, per MNPD.
Second arrest for alleged aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor
A second man, 46-year-old Lawrence Nelson, was also arrested Tuesday at his Elm Hill Pike home and charged with aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.
Police say a cybertip also led to an investigation into Nelson that began in April.. Investigators ultimately say “he was identified as the alleged Instagram user who shared a child sex abuse file depicting a female child engaged in a sex act with an adult man.”
According to MNPD, his bond was set at $10,000.
Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Ford was an employee, rather than a leader, of the church.