Illinois Youth Pastor Arrested On Child Porn Charges

The Arlington Heights Daily Herald reports:

A man accused of possessing and disseminating child pornography worked at a Geneva-area church from 2016 until March. Rejoice Lutheran Church hired the Rev. Michael C. Willis to lead its youth ministry in 2016, according to the church’s Facebook page.

Willis was ordained as a pastor in 2022, according to records on the website of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, to which Rejoice belongs.

On Wednesday, a synod official said Willis was put on leave in April when the synod learned of the investigation, and that Willis resigned from Rejoice in early June.

Patch Illinois reports:

Willis has been charged with two counts of child pornography – exhibit, reproduce, disseminate film, video and photo; three counts of child pornography – possessing moving depiction; and child pornography – possessing computer photograph, according to online court records.

Willis was arrested earlier this week and released on a $4,500 bond Tuesday, according to online jail records.

He’s been ordered to physically surrender firearms, not to possess any electronic devices that allow access to the internet while he is free on bond and not to have any unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18 years old.

Child porn possession suspect was pastor at a Geneva-area church. @kanesao https://t.co/15Tfoo3diO

— Daily Herald (@dailyherald) June 28, 2023