The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.
James Swanson, pastor of Rome Wesleyan Church in Rome, New York has been sentenced to three years in prison for child pornography possession.
A former pastor at Rome Wesleyan Church has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for possession of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
James H. Swanson, 59, of Rome, was sentenced by Chief Judge Brenda K. Sannes on Friday to three years in prison, followed by 15 years of post-release supervision, on a charge of activities constituting child pornography. Swanson was also ordered to pay at least $8,000 in fees and restitution.
Authorities said Swanson, for years, would download child pornography from the internet and then upload it to a Google Gmail account. The authorities were tipped off by Google in March 2022, leading to an investigation and interview with Swanson, officials said. Swanson admitted to the conduct while being interviewed, authorities said. He was taken into custody in September 2023.
According to court documents, Swanson served as the pastor of the Rome Wesleyan Church for several decades.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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