Philadelphia Clergyman Admits Guilt in Child Pornography Conspiracy and Exploitation Case

Philadelphia – Bryan Jackson, 42, a pastor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty yesterday before United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky to multiple federal charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. The charges include conspiracy to manufacture child pornography, manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography, and receipt of child pornography.

Jackson was arrested in June 2025 on a criminal complaint and warrant. He was formally charged by information in September 2025 and waived prosecution by indictment with his guilty plea.

Court documents and statements reveal that Jackson and a co-conspirator enticed and directed a minor under the age of 18, referred to as Minor 1, to photograph and video record himself engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The conspirators deceived Minor 1 by posing as an older girl to induce the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), which they then shared between themselves.

Additionally, from approximately November 22, 2025, through May 28, 2026, Jackson knowingly received visual depictions involving a second minor, Minor 2, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Jackson faces a maximum sentence of 80 years in prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 19, 2026.

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project coordinates federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute offenders exploiting children online, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

The investigation was conducted by the Philadelphia Police Department’s Special Victims Unit and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Branwen McNabb O’Donnell is prosecuting the case.

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