ALEXANDRIA, VA. — Jeffrey Turner Taylor was arrested and made an initial appearance in court on Sept. 14, 2026, on charges of enticement of minors for illegal sexual activity and traveling with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity with minors. The 66-year-old resident of Milford, Ohio, faces seven federal counts and up to 105 years in prison following his indictment.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeffrey L. Tyler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division, made the announcement on Sept. 15, 2026. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa K. Strobbe is prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.

Taylor served as a youth minister at The Falls Church from 1990 to 2002. He also served as a youth minister at two other churches in Atlanta, where he allegedly groomed and sexually abused a boy in his ministry there. The alleged sexual grooming and abuse spanned from at least 1990 until 2008.

According to the indictment, Taylor allegedly sexually groomed multiple boys under the guise of spiritual guidance. Alleged grooming behaviors included sexual horseplay, probing inquiries into the sexual secrets and habits of boys, and detailed revelations about his own sexual experiences. On several occasions, Taylor allegedly engaged or attempted to engage in sexual molestation of multiple boys.

On multiple occasions, Taylor traveled with the alleged intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct by taking boys with him to ministry events in another state or country. Taylor is scheduled for arraignment in the Eastern District of Virginia on Sept. 24, 2026.

Why It Matters

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The indictment outlines a pattern of alleged abuse that extended across multiple states and jurisdictions over nearly two decades.

The charges reflect federal efforts to prosecute individuals who travel across state lines or international borders to engage in illegal sexual activity with minors. The involvement of the FBI Washington Field Office and multiple U.S. Attorney’s Offices indicates the multi-jurisdictional nature of the investigation.

Timeline

On May 9, 2015, in U.S. Sec. & Exch. Comm'n v. Ahmed in the District Court for the District of Connecticut, a dispute arose regarding the SEC's request that the Court order the defendant to turn over all interest and returns from frozen assets from the time the Court entered a Temporary Restraining Order.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeffrey L. Tyler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division, made the announcement on Sept. 15, 2026.

What's New

Additional reporting confirms that Jeffrey Turner Taylor faces seven federal counts. This detail clarifies the scope of the indictment beyond the initial arrest charges.