Matthew D. Luetke, a minister at a WELS Lutheran church in O'Fallon, Mo., was charged Wednesday with promoting child
pornography, a felony.
ST. CHARLES
COUNTY • A Lutheran pastor is in
jail after detectives with the county's cyber crimes unit raided his home
Tuesday and discovered child pornography on his computer, police
say.
Matthew D. Luetke, 35, of the 5000 block of Danielle
Drive, was charged today with promoting child pornography. He had been under
investigation since December, when undercover detectives began trading child
pornography with him, police said.
Luetke has been a pastor at Good Shepherd Evangelical
Lutheran Church, 8425 Mexico Road, for about a year, police say. Before that he
worked at churches in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Police say he had no previous
criminal record.
A day care at the church is attended by about 50
children, police said, but they do not suspect Luetke had any improper contact
with any of the children. The church is sending out a letter to parents about
the arrest as a precaution, police said.
Officials at the church could not be reached for
comment.
Police found nine images of prepubescent girls on
Luetke's home computer.
When interviewed, Luetke admitted that he had been
viewing pornography, and that his wife and children knew nothing about it. In a
written statement, he said he had "developed a problem with viewing child
pornography" in 2004.
Luetke's bail is set at $100,000 cash
only.
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| Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary photo, 2006: Faculty completely run by Church and Changers. |
ST. CHARLES, Mo. (KSDK) - The St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged a 35-year-old area pastor in reference to a child pornography investigation.
According to court documents, the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force searched a home in the 5000 block of Danielle Drive for evidence of child pornography. Authorities found on a computer nine images of young girls between the ages of 9 and 13 in various poses and exposing themselves.
Prosecutors said the homeowner, identified as Matthew Luetke, confessed to being the sole operator of said computer, adding he'd developed a habit of viewing child pornography. Luetke further admitted to touching himself while viewing said images.
Luetke, a pastor at the Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church in O'Fallon, told police he had exposed himself and allowed his genitals to be touched by female relatives when they were pre-school age when the family was living in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Those incidents are said to have occurred between 2004 and 2008. [GJ - While in seminary at Mequon]
The St. Charles County Sheriff's Department does not believe Luetke had any contact with children who attended daycare at the facility or the children of parishioners, but church officials are notifying parents as a precaution.
Matthew Luetke was charged with one count of promoting child pornography and remains jailed on $100,000 bond.