A Madison County jury found Claud Greenlee guilty Thursday of three felony counts of possession of child pornography, capping a three-day trial against the former pastor and teacher who once coached varsity baseball at Liberty Christian School in Anderson. Greenlee is scheduled to be sentenced on November 18.
Greenlee, who also served as senior pastor at Tri-County Christian Church in Middletown, was convicted after jurors heard how the case began with a cyber tip the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent to police. According to Fox 59, that tip, received July 10, 2024, flagged possible child pornography being shared on the messaging app Kik, and investigators traced the Kik profile containing the images back to Greenlee.
Police served a search warrant on Greenlee at Liberty Christian School on July 25, 2024, and also searched his Anderson home, according to the same Fox 59 report. A search of his phone turned up multiple pornographic images, some of which featured children, the station reported, and investigators said his Kik account included chats in which he asked other users for child sexual abuse material.
Deleted Evidence Still Carried More Than 300 Images
According to court documents cited by Fox 59, those conversations also included an admission that Greenlee had purchased child pornography for $50. Deputy prosecutor Dan Kopp told reporters during the trial, as Yahoo News reported, that a police task force searched Greenlee's cellphone and found more than 300 images of child pornography on it. Separately, The Star Press reported that the cellphone search allegedly turned up images depicting prepubescent children, with some believed to show children younger than 3 years old being victimized.
At trial, Greenlee denied having the Kik account tied to the investigation, even as he admitted to viewing child erotica and said he had seen photos or videos of prepubescent children. The state eventually dismissed three original counts of child exploitation and added a third count of possession of child pornography, per the Yahoo News account of the proceedings.
School Cut Ties After Investigation Began
Liberty Christian School placed Greenlee on leave once it learned of the investigation and said he is no longer employed there. A statement from the school, shared with Fox 59, read in part: “Mr. Greenlee was immediately put on leave when the situation was first brought to our attention. He is no longer employed at Liberty Christian School.”
Reporting on Greenlee's age has varied across outlets. A conviction report from WTHR listed him as 59, while the Yahoo News account identified him as 63. The Madison County prosecutor's office has said Greenlee faces a maximum sentence of eight and a half years in prison, according to WTHR's report.
Greenlee is set to return to court for sentencing on November 18.
