On social media, Pastor Jonathon Elwing calls himself a husband, father, child of God, and serving Christ as a minister of his Gospel. So, when the Manatee County Sheriff's office gets a tip from cryptocurrency company "coin base" that the 43-year-old Senior Pastor of Palm View Baptist Church may have used cryptocurrency to buy child pornography, investigators know you can't judge a book by its cover. The Manatee County Sheriff's office secures a search warrant for Jonathon Elwing's home and Palm View Baptist Church.
Elwing gives investigators the passcode for his personal phone. And as the investigator begins to look, Jonathon Elwing admits he sometimes purchases adult pornography from a "third party." He adds it is possible that child pornography would be a part the purchase without his knowledge. Elwing says when he sees the child pornography images or videos, he deletes them.
Still, cops find four of the items located on Elwing's personal cellphone depict Child Sexual Abuse Material while still at the home. Infact, the forensic search of Jonathon Elwing's cell phone reveals images of him sexually battering a child, along with production and possession of 12 images child sexual abuse material. Then, investigators are able to extract hidden files from Elwing's personal cellphone and deputies say he is using a private photo vault app to hide at least 14 pictures of him sexually abusing a two-year-old child.
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