Tennessee Youth Pastor Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of Children

A former Tennessee youth pastor and basketball coach pleaded guilty in federal court May 15 to sexual exploitation of children.

Joshua Henley, 32, was indicted in July 2021 and charged with four counts of producing child sexual exploitation material and one count each of transporting and possessing such materials, one count of transporting a minor interstate to engage in criminal sexual activity, and one count of sending obscene material to a minor under 16.

The other charges were dropped as part of a plea deal, the Jackson Sun reported.

The original FBI complaint alleged Henley had engaged in sexual contact with a minor on multiple occasions at his home and in a hotel room and had inappropriate contact with her via texting and social media. Another minor reported similar activity.

He had faced up to 160 years in federal prison if convicted on all counts. Under the plea deal, he will be sentenced to two to 12 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000.

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Henley served as youth pastor of the Holladay Church of Christ in Holladay, Tennessee, and as a girls’ basketball coach at Holladay Elementary School (K-8) from 2017 to 2021. He previously held similar positions in Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma, per the Sun, and was working as a youth pastor in Indiana until the time of his arrest in June of 2021.

Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 23.