Former Middle GA pastor faces 7,000+ child sex abuse, porn charges, authorities say

A former Middle Georgia youth pastor faces more than 7,000 charges related to possession of child pornography and acts of child sexual abuse as he awaits a court hearing in Pennsylvania.

John Tyler Moreland, former director of students and families at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Monroe County, was charged with one count of criminal use of communication facility, one count of corruption of minors, 135 counts of photograph/film/depict of computer sex act, 135 counts of unlawful contact with a minor and 6,770 charges of child sexual abuse material, according to a 475-page document from Pennsylvania’s online courts portal.

The Lycoming County Magisterial District in Pennsylvania confirmed Monday that Moreland faces 7,042 charges, all waived for court, meaning they will be transferred to and handled by the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas. The magisterial district closed Moreland’s case on May 14, according to the courts portal.

The final charging decision and total number of counts will be determined by law enforcement and the Court of Common Pleas as the case proceeds, a magisterial district clerk told The Telegraph Monday over the phone. A charge was issued for each individual piece of content.

Pennsylvania State Police investigators said they found more than 150 explicit photos and videos linked to Moreland’s Snapchat account, where he allegedly contacted children and instructed them to record themselves nude, as previously reported by The Telegraph.

The investigation kicked off in December 2025. A Pennsylvania parent in Lycoming County called police after reportedly discovering inappropriate content on her 10-year-old child’s phone that had been shared with an individual on Snapchat.

After obtaining search warrants for the suspect’s and victim’s Snapchat accounts and reviewing both sent and received media, authorities found 135 videos and about 20 images of “nude and exposed genitalia of pubescent boys, pre-pubescent boys, and at least one diapered male toddler” sent between various victims and Moreland, according to Pennsylvania State Police documents.

Investigators said Moreland contacted the victims and pretended to be a girl named “Alexis” or “Amanda” using her brother’s phone, documents showed.

Moreland, a Macon native, was arrested April 10 at a relative’s Houston County residence in connection with the child pornography investigation.

Moreland was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service. As he awaited extradition to Pennsylvania, Moreland was held without bond for community and flight risks reasons.

Moreland had a preliminary arraignment on April 25 and a preliminary court hearing on May 1. The agency did not immediately share a date for any upcoming hearings.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond Wednesday when asked if the agency is still involved with the investigation and if any additional victims have been identified.