A former Christian schoolteacher and youth ministry leader in Georgia pleaded guilty on Monday to a federal charge of possessing child sexual abuse material.
Christian Baumgarth, 27, of Atlanta, faces up to two decades in prison after his conviction on one count of possession of child pornography in U.S. District Court of Middle District of Georgia, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for that district.
Baumgarth was a math teacher and an assistant cross country and track and field coach at First Presbyterian Day School in Macon, Ga. He worked there from 2018 to 2023, authorities indicated. He was also a volunteer small group leader in the student ministry at Northway Church in Macon from 2019 to 2023.
First Presbyterian Day School’s head of school John Patterson issued a statement saying Baumgarth was terminated in August 2023. He added that authorities had told him there was no evidence of any involvement with the school’s students, Macon television station WMAZ reported.
Baumgarth’s arrest came amid a Homeland Security investigation into people using encrypted applications to distribute child sex abuse material during the summer of 2023.
On Aug. 1, 2023, federal agents seized numerous electronic devices at Baumgarth’s residence. Two of Baumgarth’s iPhones contained 20 images and 13 videos of children, prosecutors indicated. Some of the images depicted an infant or toddler being sexually abused.
Baumgarth was originally indicted on two counts of possession and two counts of distribution, WMAZ reported.
“Sadly, those who perpetuate the online abuse of children can sometimes be found hiding in plain sight and interacting with children,” U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary said in a press release. “Our office and law enforcement at every level are working tirelessly to protect children from predators, and I commend the investigative work done in this case.”
“Those in positions of public trust are held to a higher standard as guardians of the innocent … with our law enforcement partners, will continue to seek justice for these victims by pursuing and holding accountable the predators dealing in this material,”said Anthony J. Patrone, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta, which oversees Georgia and Alabama.
Baumgarth is set to be sentenced in October. In addition to prison time, the former teacher faces up to a $250,000 fine, and he will be required to register as a sex offender upon leaving prison.
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This is what our schools have deteriorated to with the woke , liberal bull—- propagated on our median and government agencies!
You do read? This is Christian school, far from woke or liberal.
Also my Polish friend, what is “median” and how is government agencies affecting Christian schools and their hiring practices?
Cmon man. Wake up. This was a Chtistian school teacher-‘ how much “woke” bs ( as you call it) was taught there. You know a better label for it is just plain hypocrisy which has been going on long before ” woke” was even a thing — among churches, the Boy Scouts, and even ” good ” Christian schools. This isn’t ” woke ” this is hypocritical corruption by our supposedly moral leaders!
standards for Christians are rightly higher than non-Christians. Unfortunately, Christians are also fallible humans. I say this as a human Christian who has made poor choices every day, albeit not this grievous.
You think so? I would disagree with you.
Any hieratical institution that preaches the status of women to obedient 2nd class citizens have been found guilty of sexual abuse and hypocrisy far more often than agnostics and atheists that follow the moral code of empathy.
Most of the wars in the history of the world have a religious factor to them OR have been caused by religion itself and that definitely includes Christianity
Wow !! If 20 years is the penalty in Georgia for keeping some child pornography pictures, I wonder what is the penalty for murder…or for trying to overturn and cheat in an election as Trump did.
American version of Christianity is currently very far away from what Jesus preached anyway and considering all the nasty stuff that was done by the old testament patriarchs in their stable of wives, most everything was OK as long as they sacrifice a sheep or two to Yahweh every so often