CATAWBA, Va. – AUG. 8 UPDATE:
Catawba Valley Baptist Church issued a statement regarding the arrest of Jacob Ryan Barnett, an associate pastor at the church:
We are devastated by the recent news concerning Jake Barnett and the serious charges brought against him.
We are deeply grieved by these allegations. Our prayers are with anyone who may have been impacted, and we ask the Lord for comfort, healing, and justice.
As a church, we remain fully committed to the highest standards of protection, safety, and care for every child, student, and family who is part of our fellowship. We continue to take every measure possible to maintain a safe environment for all.
We are cooperating with the proper authorities and will refrain from additional public comment while the legal process continues. In this difficult moment, we are leaning onthe grace of God and seeking His wisdom and peace.
Catawba Valley Baptist Church
We will continue to update you with more information as it becomes available.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A man from Catawba, Virginia, was taken into custody on Wednesday following allegations of attempting to coerce and entice a minor.
FBI agents arrested 34-year-old Jacob Ryan Barnett in North Carolina under a federal criminal complaint. He is expected to appear for his initial court hearing early next week in the U.S. District Court in Roanoke.
Court documents indicate that the FBI was alerted after reports of an attempt to groom a 15-year-old girl in Michigan. Investigators found that on May 18, 2025, the victim received a message from a TikTok account under the name “Jodie Johnson,” which appeared to belong to a teenage boy. The user exchanged phone numbers with the girl and persuaded her to send explicit videos over several days.
Further investigation linked the TikTok account and phone number to Barnett, who works in Catawba and who routinely engaged with young people online, authorities said. Records show Barnett was using the number during communications with the Michigan victim.
Officials also discovered that Barnett’s TikTok account followed thousands of minor girls, and he used multiple platforms, such as Discord and Snapchat, to request explicit content from other children while pretending to be a teenager.
If found guilty, Barnett faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and could face life imprisonment. Sentencing will be decided by a federal judge based on sentencing guidelines and other factors.
“While the charges against Mr. Barnett are just allegations at this point, the facts presented do serve as a reminder for all parents to be aware of what their children are doing online,” United States Attorney C. Todd Gilbert said today. “Our kids occupy a world where those seeking to harm them have countless avenues, like TikTok, Discord, Snapchat and others, to reach across vast distances directly into their bedrooms. Please, monitor their online activity, talk to them about the dangers that are out there, and let them know how to report folks who try to exploit them online.”