A 42-year-old Philadelphia pastor has pleaded guilty to federal charges connected to child sexual exploitation, United States Attorney David Metcalf announced, closing out a case that began with his arrest in June 2026. Bryan Jackson now faces a maximum prison term of 80 years and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 19, 2027.
Jackson served as a pastor at Garden of Prayer World’s Prayer Center in Strawberry Mansion, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. According to PHL17, officials said Jackson and a co-conspirator deceived a minor into believing he was talking with an older girl, then enticed and directed the minor to produce sexually explicit material, which the pair then shared, federal authorities said. Officials also said that between November 2025 and May 2026, Jackson received files depicting a second minor engaging in sexual conduct, as PHL17 reported.
Charges Trace Back to a State Investigation
The case first surfaced publicly in June 2026, when the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office announced charges against Jackson and a second man, Isaiah Banks, describing them as local clergy accused of sexual exploitation involving minors. The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office alleged that Jackson posed as a female to obtain images and videos directly from a victim, according to a statement from District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office. Prosecutors listed two counts each of sexual abuse of children, sexual exploitation of children, unlawful contact with a minor, and criminal use of a communication facility against the men in that state case.
The district attorney’s office said contact between Banks and Jackson dated back to February 2024. The investigation itself began on April 8, 2026, after Philadelphia Police started looking into a report from the Department of Human Services concerning a minor allegedly solicited by Banks, the same account noted. At the time the state charges were filed, both men had posted bail and were out of custody, the office said.
Federal Case Followed Weeks Later
Six days after the state charges, federal authorities stepped in. The U.S. Department of Justice’s office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania reported that Jackson and Banks, 30, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint on June 29, 2026, with child pornography offenses. PHL17 reported that Jackson pleaded guilty to federal charges.
Jackson’s sentencing is now set for February 19, 2027, when he will learn how much of the maximum 80-year term he could face. The case underscores how a local clergy abuse investigation, opened by Philadelphia police and child welfare officials, escalated into a federal prosecution carrying decades-long exposure.
