Jacob Melvin Hart
Coverage of Jacob Melvin Hart in the Nexus archive.
- Former Orange County church employee sentenced to 40 years for secretly recording children using spyware
A California man previously employed by an Orange County church was sentenced to 40 years in prison for secretly recording children using spyware and directing juvenile victims to produce child sexual abuse material. Jacob Melvin Hart, 46, of San Juan Capistrano, pleaded guilty to attempted production of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation.
- ‘Predator’ ex-pastor gets 40 years after MIA arrest reveals child exploitation online, at church
A former youth pastor was sentenced to 40 years for secretly recording minors using spyware and directing children to produce child sexual abuse material. He was arrested at Miami International Airport in 2025 and had a prior 2006 conviction for hidden cameras in a girls' bathroom. The church where he worked is being sued for hiring him despite his history.