Officials: Ex-pastor pleads guilty to child porn charges

Published 10:25 pm Tuesday, April 19, 2011

MOBILE, Ala. — Authorities say a former church leader from Kentucky pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of distribution of child pornography.

Officials say 63-year-old Jerry L. Cannon is in jail, awaiting expected sentencing in July.

Officials said the Federal Bureau of Investigation began an investigation after police alerted the FBI to a complaint by someone who reported seeing child pornography on a Facebook page.

Authorities said Cannon used a total of 13 phony accounts, in addition to his real profile, and had more than 600 pornographic images linked to his accounts.

The Mobile Press Register reported that Cannon — who is originally from Mobile — was previously a pastor at a nondenominational church in Dry Ridge, Ky.

Defense attorney Greg Hughes said his client’s legal problems are a tough thing he’s confronting.