Ex-CEO Jason Christopher Yates pleads guilty to possessing child pornography
Yates previously headed "My Faith Votes," an influential organisation dedicated to mobilising Christian voters in US elections. His admission of guilt has cast a dark shadow over the group's mission and sparked widespread condemnation.
The sinister nature of Yates's activities began to unravel on July 31, 2024, when the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension received a hard drive laden with child abuse images. The individual who handed over the evidence claimed to have received it from a relative of Yates. This relative, by sheer chance, reportedly discovered the hard drive tucked away in a dresser in Yates's office.
According to reports, the relative stumbled upon the drive while seeking extra storage for their own computer. What they uncovered instead was a horrifying collection of child pornography.
Yates's arrest in October 2024, as per a USA Today report, prompted swift action from "My Faith Votes." The organisation confirmed that Yates had been separated from his role as CEO in early August 2024, even before his arrest became public. Chris Sadler, a board member, immediately stepped in as Acting CEO.
"In early August 2024, 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," My Faith Votes stated in a press release to Religion News Service. "Over the last three months, Chris has been working with the dedicated My Faith Votes team to encourage millions of Christians to vote, pray and think biblically about this election in America.'
When confronted by agents in September, Yates chillingly confirmed that the images on the hard drive were indeed his and not his relatives. He also made a disturbing disclosure: he had a prior conviction for possessing child sex abuse images, though it had reportedly been expunged from his record. This revelation raises serious questions about the vetting processes within such organisations and the persistent threat posed by such offenders.
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