By Jason Yates, former CEO of pro-Trump evangelical nonprofit My Faith Votes, has been arrested and charged with eight counts of possessing child sexual abuse materials, marking a stunning fall for a prominent figure in conservative Christian political outreach.
Court documents reveal that investigators discovered more than 100 sexually explicit images and videos of children under 14 on a hard drive accidentally found by a relative, including eight files involving children between ages five and seven. The relative passed the drive to another family member, who then contacted law enforcement.
The arrest comes weeks after Yates, 55, authored a Washington Times op-ed condemning “sexually deviant” messaging toward children, specifically targeting LGBTQ content. “This infernal programming is being downloaded into our children, and it becomes far easier when it finds no resistance in our public square — when it is allowed to fill the void left by the absence of our faith,” Yates wrote.
During a September 13 interview with investigators, Yates refused to provide passwords for encrypted files and disclosed a previous expunged conviction related to child sex abuse materials, according to Religion News Service.
My Faith Votes, part of a network of nonprofits supporting Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, confirmed Yates’ departure in early August. “The My Faith Votes board of directors separated Jason Yates from My Faith Votes and board member Chris Sadler assumed the position of Acting CEO,” a spokesperson stated.
Before his resignation, Yates led efforts to mobilize conservative Christian voters, promoting a pledge committing Christians to vote “for candidates and policies that uphold the sanctity of life, the traditional family, religious liberty, and justice for all.”
The organization’s website reflects its conservative mission, stating: “As a result of apathy at the voting booth and in public life, we’ve suffered devastating moral decay, declining religious freedom, immoral national debt, and the erosion of traditional family values.”
The charges against Yates expose a stark contrast between his public advocacy for conservative Christian values and the alleged private possession of exploitative materials, sending shockwaves through evangelical political circles as the 2024 election approaches.
