2 Philadelphia pastors charged with creating child pornography, officials say
By Joe Brandt, Tom Gardiner, Joe Holden
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PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Two Philadelphia pastors have been arrested and charged with creating child pornography that impacts multiple victims, officials said Tuesday.
Bryan Jackson, senior pastor at Garden of Prayer World Prayer Center, and Isaiah Banks, the former senior pastor at Second Pilgrim Baptist Church, are charged with several criminal offenses, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office said.
DA Larry Krasner and members of his office held a news conference to discuss the charges and encourage other victims to come forward.
An investigation into Banks, 30, began in April after police investigated a report from the Department of Human Services, Krasner said.
The report alleged Banks asked a minor to send sexually explicit videos to him via text message, in exchange for money or food. The messages were found after a witness conducted a random check on the victim’s phone, and then relayed what they found to a therapist who was a mandated reporter.
Assistant District Attorney Helena von Nagy said evidence shows Banks “groomed more than one minor in the community to produce child pornography and then provided that pornography to Mr. Jackson, who also directly communicated with the children for the purpose of getting more photos and videos of that type.”
Von Nagy said the evidence shows the alleged criminal activity was “a process over a course of several years” but that prosecutors are focused on a time period between January and May 2026. Arrest papers allege the two pastors texted and messaged back and forth about soliciting images of child pornography as far back as 2024.
Detectives with the Philadelphia Police Special Victims Unit obtained search warrants for the pastors’ phones, obtaining pornographic images and videos depicting children, and messages exchanged about the illegal content.
“I would like to commend these children and their bravery in coming forward and starting this process,” von Nagy said. “It’s extremely difficult to have to speak about these things to law enforcement, to the community members and eventually in front of the defendants when this goes to a preliminary hearing and eventually a trial.”
Both men have been arraigned and posted bail. They’re awaiting preliminary hearings on the charges, which include conspiracy, sexual abuse of children and corruption of minors.
There may be more charges filed related to the victims who have already come forward or if more victims come forward.
“We want to notify people who may have a story to tell, or may remember something that happened in the past that seemed off, but at the time they didn’t have enough information to understand the broader context,” Krasner said.
LaQuisha Anthony, executive director of the Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence (also known as WOAR), wants victims to know that resources are available for them, whether they want to come forward to law enforcement or seek support.
“These allegations are profoundly disturbing, not only because of the alleged harm inflicted on children, but because they represent a violation of trust within spaces that are meant to be safe, sacred and protected,” Anthony said.
“To every survivor, every family member and every community member impacted by this: we want you to know that you are not alone and that support is available,” Anthony said.
WOAR has a 24-hour hotline — that number is 215-985-3333.
If you want to contact law enforcement, you can reach the Philadelphia Police Department’s Special Victims Unit at 215-685-3251, or the DA’s office’s Victim Services Unit at 215-686-5709.
In the past, Jackson attended Philadelphia City Council meetings. He once offered the invocation.
“I’m deeply disturbed and hurt to my core that anyone in a position of faith and community leadership would carry out these actions. It’s a betrayal of the very tenets that inform my beliefs,” Minority Leader Kendra Brooks said, in part, in a statement.
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