A youth pastor who worked for an international megachurch has been arrested for the possession of child abuse images.
Daniel Menelaou, 28, was arrested in Georgia after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip-off accusing him of sharing sexually explicit child sex abuse videos.
The pastor, who worked for Futures, a megachurch in Alpharetta, Georgia, was charged Wednesday with the possession or control of any material depicting a minor in sexually explicit conduct, according to warrants seen by Atlanta News First.
At the center of the allegations are a number of explicit videos that involved children and were shared via the Kik messaging app, according to the arrest warrants.
Roswell police officer Tim Lupo told the outlet that authorities seized several electronic devices when Menelaou, from Adelaide, Australia, was arrested.
“It’s egregious behavior regardless of who is engaged in it in particular somebody that has connections to young people and it raises the threat level to another degree,” Lupo said.
According to social media posts, Menelaou was involved with the group Young Adults Alpharetta and was featured in a video on the church’s Instagram account on February 17. He was formerly involved with the South Australian youth community group “Fearless Youth” in 2022. Menelaou’s personal social media accounts have been deactivated.
A Futures spokesperson told ANF that Menelaou was placed on immediate administrative leave as soon as the organization became aware of his arrest.
However, they said they did not know the “full extent” of the charges until recently. His position has now been terminated, the spokesperson said.
The church also provided a statement to Fox5 that read: “The charges against Daniel Menelaou are abhorrent, appalling, and completely contrary to everything we stand for. We are horrified by what has been revealed and categorically condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms.
“Until his arrest, we had no prior knowledge of any allegations or indication of wrongdoing. The details outlined in the arrest warrant are deeply disturbing and stand in total opposition to our unwavering commitment to protecting children.
“Our priority remains the well-being of our community, and we will continue to do everything in our power to support those affected.”
Menelaou was issued with a $20,000 surety bond, according to jail records. An investigation is ongoing.
The Independent contacted Futures Megachurch and Roswell Police Department for comment.
