Roswell man and youth pastor arrested for possession of child porn

• • The Brief

  • • 28-year-old Daniel Menelaou was arrested on Wednesday.
    • Menelaou was a youth pastor at Futures Church in Alpharetta.
    • Police seized electronic devices from Menelaou's Roswell home
  • 
    

ROSWELL, Ga. - A Roswell man has been arrested on six counts of possession of child sexual abuse material following an investigation by the Roswell Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit.

What we know:

Acting on a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Roswell Police and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) searched the home of 28-year-old Daniel Menelaou in the Hunters Cover neighborhood on Wednesday.

"During the course of that search warrant, we seized several electronic devices that will be analyzed for additional evidence," said Roswell Police Officer Tim Lupo.

According to the warrant, Menelaou uploaded multiple videos that "depict a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct" and shared the images using the messenger app Kik.

Menelaou served as a youth pastor for Futures Church in Alpharetta.

What they're saying:

A spokesperson for the church sent a statement that reads:

"The charges against Daniel Menelaou are abhorrent, appalling, and completely contrary to everything we stand for. We are horrified by what has been revealed and categorically condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms. Until his arrest, we had no prior knowledge of any allegations or indication of wrongdoing. The details outlined in the arrest warrant are deeply disturbing and stand in total opposition to our unwavering commitment to protecting children.

Our hearts go out first and foremost to any victims who have been harmed. We remain committed to standing with all survivors of abuse, particularly children, whose suffering should never be ignored or minimized. Futures Church has a zero-tolerance policy regarding any form of abuse. The moment we became aware of Daniel Menelaou's arrest, we placed him on immediate administrative leave. However, the full extent of these charges was unknown to us until the last few hours and his position has now been terminated. Let us be unequivocally clear this behavior is reprehensible and has no place in our church.

In the midst of this devastating situation, we also recognize the immense burden placed on his wife, who has been placed in an incredibly painful position. We will continue to offer her support, care, and resources as she navigates this tragic reality. Our church has always been dedicated to the protection of the vulnerable. We are, and always have been, advocates for and supporters of any victims of exploitation. We stand firmly on the side of justice and are cooperating with law enforcement to ensure the truth is revealed and justice is served.

Futures Church is in no way responsible or affiliated with these actions of Daniel Menelaou. As a church, we take our responsibility seriously. We regularly review our policies and safeguards to ensure we continue upholding the highest standards of child protection. Our priority remains the well-being of our community, and we will continue to do everything in our power to support those affected."

Church officials say they have a zero-tolerance policy regarding any form of abuse, and once they learned the full extent of the charges Thursday, Menelaou was fired.

The statement reads:

"Let us be unequivocally clear, this behavior is reprehensible and has no place in our church".

What's next:

Police say they have been working with the church. They also say their investigation is ongoing and there could be additional charges.

"As you can imagine, when we have somebody who is engaging in this type of behavior, who also occupies a position of authority or influence with young people, that's something that we're going to look into very closely," said Officer Lupo.

Source: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/roswell-man-youth-pastor-arrested-possession-child-porn