CARY (NC)
Eyewitness News 11
By Shae Crisson
(03/21/05 -- APEX) — A Cary youth minister is suspended with pay while police investigate him for possible involvement with child pornography.
Apex police began investigating Jeff Smith last week. He has served as a youth minister at Peace Presbyterian Church in Cary for the past three years, the church's pastor said.
Officers began their investigation after receiving a phone call from police in Rockford, Illinois.
"They had a juvenile in their state that had received e-mail and attached to the e-mail was child pornography," said Apex Police Sgt. Ann Moore. Search warrants say the child pornography came from an e-mail account in Jeff Smith's name.
Police took a digital video camcorder, camera, several CD's, a laptop and a desktop computer from Smith's home in Apex, where he lives with his wife and four children.
"If we feel there's a danger to the children in the home, we can contact social services," Moore said. "At this time, we do not feel like there's any reason to be concerned of any children in the home or any children that they may have contact with."
Smith has not been charged.
Posted by kshaw at March 21, 2005 08:13 PM