'Sexual Horseplay': Former Youth Minister Jeffrey Turner Taylor Allegedly Groomed Boys Across Virginia

Former youth minister Jeffrey Turner Taylor was arrested in Milford, Ohio, and produced in court on Monday after prosecutors accused him of grooming and sexually abusing minors in Northern Virginia and Atlanta from at least 1990 to 2008.

The supplied information does not give the calendar date of that hearing. Taylor, 66, faces child sexual exploitation charges.

According to prosecutors, Taylor served as a youth minister at The Falls Church in Falls Church, Virginia, from 1990 to 2002.

Investigators also allege that he sexually abused a boy while serving in youth ministries at two Atlanta churches. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia did not name those churches.

'Sexual Horseplay' Allegedly Used To Groom Boys

Prosecutors allege that Taylor used sexual horseplay, probing questions and discussions about his own sexual experiences to groom multiple boys during his time at The Falls Church.

The claims form part of alleged conduct that officials say spanned from at least 1990 to 2008. The information released by the U.S. Attorney's Office does not identify the boys or provide a precise total.

It also does not say when investigators first received the allegations. Those omissions leave the scope of the case unclear, even as the accusations themselves are serious.

'On multiple occasions, Taylor travelled with the alleged intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct by taking boys with him to ministry events in another state or country,' the US Attorney's Office said. 'On several occasions, Taylor allegedly engaged or attempted to engage in sexual molestation of multiple boys.'

The statement attributes the alleged travel to ministry events, but it does not identify the states or countries involved. It also does not provide dates for the individual journeys or alleged incidents.

Former Youth Minister Faces Child Sexual Exploitation Charges

Taylor is charged with enticement of minors for illegal sexual activity and travelling with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity with minors. If convicted, he could face up to 105 years in prison, according to officials.

The supplied information does not state whether Taylor entered a plea at Monday's hearing or whether his lawyer responded to the allegations.

No response from Taylor is included in the material provided. The Falls Church and the two unidentified Atlanta churches are also not quoted.

The charges are confirmed by the US Attorney's Office, while the claims of grooming and sexual abuse remain allegations that have not been proven in court. IBTimes UK cannot independently verify the allegations.

FBI Seeks Information About Jeffrey Turner Taylor

Investigators say Taylor's alleged grooming and abuse spanned from at least 1990 to 2008. His period at The Falls Church falls within that stated timeframe, while officials allege that he also abused a boy while serving in youth ministries at two churches in Atlanta.

The FBI's Washington Field Office is asking anyone with information about Taylor, including anyone who may have been victimised by him, to get in touch. The supplied statement does not say whether investigators have received additional reports following that request.

Officials have not announced any further charges in the information provided. Their appeal leaves the investigation open to accounts from others who may have information about Taylor's work, the ministry events he attended, or the journeys cited in the federal allegations.