Montgomery church leader was ministering prisoners when arrested in child pornography investigation, Pct 3 says

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Montgomery County authorities have arrested a church leader, accusing him of distributing child pornography.

Jon Sheptock was the Worship Minister at First Montgomery Baptist Church in Montgomery.

Detectives say he was at a state women’s prison in Central Texas, ministering inmates, when he was arrested.

According to written testimony from the Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable’s office, the alleged victim testified that the crime started nine years ago when she was 17, a senior in high school.

Court records show she told detectives she believes Sheptock stole a photo from her iCloud photo account.

“After the defendant (Sheptock) sent the image of the victim, he told her that he wanted more explicit images of her. The defendant (Sheptock) then sent her a video depicting someone being physically assaulted, accompanied by a statement implying that he did not want that to happen to her,” the affidavit said.

Records show she testified why she didn’t come forward at the time.

“Due to her parents’ strong religious beliefs, the victim was concerned about how her parents would react to the fact she had taken a nude photo of herself,” the affidavit read.

Court records go on to say the alleged victim told detectives that Sheptock showed her multiple nude photographs of adults and young girls on his computer.

Detectives report accessing a text message they say shows he sent a nude photo of young girls to the alleged victim as recently as last October.

In a statement, the pastor for First Montgomery Baptist Church said Sheptock did not specifically oversee any children in the church.

He and detectives are asking anybody else who has information in this case to contact Montgomery County authorities.

This charge carries a punishment of two to 20 years in prison.

The First Montgomery Baptist Church sent the following statement:

Church Family,
It is with a heavy heart that I share this with you. Jon Sheptock, who served as our worship minister, was arrested about 24 hours ago on charges related to child pornography. This is now public and is being shared on social media.

We immediately removed Jon from all responsibilities at the church. He did not have responsibilities overseeing children in the church or school except occasionally in a large group setting with other adults. At this point, we have no information that indicates any of the children in our care were involved, but we are taking every precaution to protect our kids and to maintain the integrity of our ministry. If you have any information, please report it to law enforcement at (281) 364-4211.

We must be clear: what Jon is accused of is a grievous sin, and it is heartbreaking for all of our church family and the families of innocent children who may be involved. God’s Word says “there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed” (Luke 8:17). We will not cover up sin, and we will not excuse it. We will fully cooperate with law enforcement and trust the judicial process. Our first priority is to honor the Lord through the continued safety of all the kids entrusted to our care.

Please pray for all those directly affected and for our church to continue to stand firm in the light of truth. Times like this remind us of our total dependence on God’s righteousness, justice, and grace.

We will keep you informed as we are able. Now more than ever, we are committed to living out our motto of love first!

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