A youth pastor in California has been arrested on child sexual abuse charges.
The Madera County sheriff’s office confirmed that 47-year-old pastor Joshua David Kemper was taken into custody on 30th October following a "months-long investigation” into allegations involving a 15-year-old girl.
Detectives allege Kemper engaged in a sexual relationship with the teenager between March and July 2025, with incidents occurring at her home, in his vehicle, and at the local church in Coarsegold, which is about 35 miles north of Fresno.
Investigators reportedly uncovered explicit messages, photos, and videos exchanged between Kemper and the girl.
During the period of the alleged abuse, Kemper shared a post on Facebook suggesting LGBTQ+ people posed a danger to children.
An AI-generated image appeared to depict young women from the kingdom of Rohan in The Lord of the Rings holding a Pride flag, with one sign reading “orcs welcome".
A second image showed the same women standing in front of a burned home, holding a sign stating: “We don’t feel safe.” Kemper captioned the post: “Do you get it?”
Kemper has been charged with multiple offences, including sexual activity with a minor, arranging to meet a minor for sexual purposes, and sharing explicit material with a child.
If convicted, he faces a minimum of eight years in prison.