A young Georgia youth pastor found himself cuffed and stuffed on charges of child exploitation last Friday, after state investigators accused him of sending salacious texts to kids in his flock. Benjamin Dalton Houser, 24, was arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) on counts of Sexual Child Exploitation, his pastoral duties at Cedar Street Baptist Church in Metter abruptly curtailed by the serious allegations.

The GBI, acting on a March request from the Candler County Sheriff’s Office, uncovered evidence Houser had sent messages with grooming hallmarks to two minors under his spiritual guidance, the agency reported earlier today. Currently cooling his heels in the Candler County Jail, Houser's alleged transgressions have disrupted the quiet community, where trust in the sacred spaces where children are supposed to learn and grow has been grievously betrayed.

In what remains a developing story, the GBI continues to trove through evidence, casting a wide net for further information warnings, asking anyone with knowledge of the case to contact the Candler County Sheriff’s Office or their regional office in Statesboro, they've even suggested tips can be anonymously dropped via phone or online platforms—for those wary of stepping into the local limelight.