Former Stuart Youth Pastor Pleads Guilty to Production and Distribution of Child Pornography

Today, a former youth pastor pleaded guilty to the production and distribution of child pornography before Chief Magistrate Judge Frank J. Lynch, Jr., in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and William Snyder, Sheriff, Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), made the announcement.

Jeffrey Brian Mobley, 24 of Ocala, formerly of Stuart, Florida pleaded guilty to an indictment, charging four counts of production of visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) and (e) and two counts of distribution of visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1).  Mobley faces a mandatory minimum of 15 to 30 years’ imprisonment for the production counts and a mandatory minimum of 5 to 20 years’ imprisonment for the distribution offenses.  Mobley is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez on May 9, 2016 at 1:30 p.m.

According to the court record, in September 2015, a suspicious conduct report was made to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office concerning a youth pastor, Jeffrey Brian Mobley, and a minor who was under his trust and care through a religious based youth program in Stuart, Florida.  During the course of the investigation law enforcement learned that Mobley, while the youth pastor, engaged in sexual intercourse with a minor who was a participant in the church’s youth program.  Using various forms of electronic communication, Mobley induced the minor to engage in sexual activity and produced sexually explicit images of their illicit relationship. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and Martin County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this case.  Mr. Ferrer also thanked the members of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida for their assistance with this matter.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.