A youth pastor from Michigan, who once performed for Donald Trump Jr, was arraigned on charges related to criminal sexual conduct and the possession of child pornography.
Zachary Radcliff, from Saline, was arraigned on multiple charges on Sunday at the 14A District Court in Ann Arbor, according to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office and court documents.
On October 2, investigators learned that Radcliff, 29, had solicited child sexually abusive material from a minor, as reported by the Michigan State Police First District, according to The Detroit News.
The court documents cited various penal codes that indicated Radcliff is accused of producing child sexually abusive material, including material with a prepubescent child, a video or more than 100 images, according to Michigan Live.
Some of the given charges date back as far back as June 2014, according to court records.
County Prosecutor Eli Savit announced that Radcliff faces one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of aggravated child sexually abusive activity, two counts of child sexually abusive activity, and six counts of using a computer to commit a crime.
A judge has set Radcliff's bond at $3 million and scheduled his next court hearing for October 31, according to court records.
Church officials were informed that Radcliff, who is the son of the Senior Pastor, had been soliciting inappropriate photos and possibly videos from teens, although they are not fully aware of the extent of his alleged crimes, according to a statement.
"We have also heard other stories," the statement read. "The information has ripped our hearts apart. The safety and protection of the individuals in our church is what is paramount to us. We are devoted to doing what we can for the care of the victims of these crimes."
"The information that we received was shocking. We were told that Zachary had been soliciting inappropriate photos and possibly videos from teens. We have also heard other stories. This information has ripped our hearts apart," the statement went on. "The safety and protection of the individuals in our church is what is paramount to us. We are devoted to doing what we can for the care of the victims of these crimes."
A now-deleted press release, according to Law and Crime, from Radcliff's alma mater, Liberty University, indicated that he performed at the school's simulcast of the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2019, where he debuted his single "I'll Stand."
At the event, the school's president, Jerry Falwell Jr., praised the song, stating, "I believe this song will become to this generation what Lee Greenwood's 'God Bless the USA' was during the Reagan years," according to the release as reported by Law and Crime.
Although the press release has been removed from the university's website, Law and Crime revealed, it was archived by the Wayback Machine.
Radcliff attended Liberty University from 2013 to 2017, majoring in worship studies with a specialization in songwriting.
On his Instagram, he shared photos of himself in MAGA gear and performing alongside Donald Trump Jr. In a post about a November 2019 event featuring himself, Falwell, Don Jr., and Kimberly Guilfoyle, he expressed his gratitude, writing, "I'll never forget this moment! Sharing the stage with these truly amazing people was an absolute honor! Tears!"
Here's Zach Radcliff posing with Don Jr. and Jerry Falwell and performing at CPAC. https://t.co/88y3Qv12jk pic.twitter.com/4Xl6asy7KB
— Lindsay Beyerstein (@beyerstein) October 21, 2024
