Bryan Jackson, a 42-year-old pastor in Philadelphia, United States, has pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting underage boys by producing and receiving child sexual abuse material.

The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, David Metcalf, announced that Mr Jackson entered his guilty plea before District Judge Joel H. Slomsky on Wednesday.

Mr Jackson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture child pornography, manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography, as well as receipt of child pornography.

According to court filings, Mr Jackson and a co-conspirator deceived a boy under the age of 18 into believing he was communicating with an older girl.

The suspects allegedly used the deception to persuade the boy to take photographs and record videos of himself engaging in sexually explicit activities. The materials were subsequently shared between Mr Jackson and his co-conspirator.

“Court documents also revealed that between November 22, 2025, and May 28, 2026, Jackson knowingly received sexually explicit images and videos involving a second underage victim,” a statement by the Department of Justice said.

Mr Jackson was arrested in June 2026 following a criminal complaint and warrant. He was formally charged in September and entered his guilty plea after waiving prosecution by indictment.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 19 and faces a maximum possible prison term of 80 years.

The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department’s Special Victims Unit and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Branwen McNabb O’Donnell is handling the prosecution.

The case was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a United States Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 to tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The programme coordinates federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts to identify, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children online while also working to identify and rescue victims.