Alexander Jeremy Baggett was charged with exploitation of a minor, officials said. A 22-year-old Harrison man who was volunteering at a church was arrested Tuesday and charged with exchanging nude photos with a 15-year-old girl in the congregation, court records show.
Alexander Baggett was serving as a youth ministry volunteer at the Church of the Highlands in Chattanooga when he "solicited and exchanged" the photos with the girl via Snapchat, a social media app, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.
The girl's family attended the church.
The photos were exchanged between March and May, according to court records. The church's pastor called the authorities after the girl told another member of the congregation she had received nude photos from Baggett.
Sheriff's investigators then had the girl call Baggett and tell him she'd taken pictures of the nude photos and that her mother had found those pictures and was asking questions. The pair exchanged at least five images, according to the affidavit.
During the phone call, which was recorded, Baggett told the girl to say the photos were from a porn website. According to the affidavit, Baggett told the girl that if it was God's will for him to go to jail, he'd go to jail, but if it was God's will for him to be clear, then he'd be clear.
He was charged with two counts of the sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor through electronic means. He is being held in the Hamilton County Jail on a $250,000 bond.
In a statement released Wednesday, church officials said Baggett had undergone a background check by the Chattanooga Police Department before volunteering at the church. Church officials said no previous record was found. The statement also said Baggett has been removed from his position there.
"We are deeply saddened by the allegations brought to light over the past few days," Pastor Jeremy Roberts said in the statement. "As soon as we were alerted, we took every measure to make sure our church members were safe, including dismissing Baggett of all church responsibilities. At this time, we will have no further comment due to the ongoing investigation.
"Our thoughts and prayers remain with all involved in this unfortunate situation."
Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at sbradbury@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6525.