A leader in the Lutheran church was recently arrested and accused of producing child pornography in Springfield, Illinois.

The suspect in the case was identified as 54-year-old Michael William Mohr, who is president of the Central Illinois District of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri announced January 29.

He was charged by complaint in St. Louis with a single count of producing child pornography.

The attorney’s office detailed the case against him:

The affidavit in support of the complaint alleges that a court-approved search of Mohr’s home in Springfield found storage devices that contained videos of three juveniles in the bathroom. A search of a residence used by Mohr in Vandalia uncovered a hidden camera disguised as a wall clock and one disguised as a Bluetooth speaker, the affidavit says. The investigation began after one of the juveniles told the Vandalia Police Department that he discovered a camera disguised as an electronic device charger in a hotel bathroom. The discovery happened the morning after the juvenile awoke to discover Mohr standing above him and masturbating, believing the victim was asleep, the affidavit says. The juvenile was in shock and acted like he was still asleep, the affidavit says.

Regarding the hotel bathroom, Fox 2 reported Mohr was on a church trip with a group when they decided to stay at the hotel due to the winter weather conditions. The outlet said Mohr reportedly stayed in a room at the site with two juveniles.

In a social media post on January 29, a Lutheran pastor, Rev. Jim Pierce, said the news about Mohr was “absolutely appalling and his actions against children are demonic.”

“I pray for his repentance, but also pray that he will pay the greatest penalty the courts can give! What an heinous crime! Lord have mercy on the children!” he wrote:

Mohr waived his right to a detention hearing and is being held behind bars until his trial.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) website explains:

Because the term “child pornography” is used in federal statutes, it is also commonly used by lawmakers, prosecutors, investigators, and the public to describe this form of sexual exploitation of children. However, this term fails to describe the true horror that is faced by countless children every year.  The production of child pornography creates a permanent record of a child’s sexual abuse.”

The illegal market for child pornography has exploded due to the expansion of the internet, and countless offenders have been known to use social media, forums, and networks to “share their interests, desires, and experiences abusing children, in addition to selling, sharing, and trading images,” officials said.

“Unfortunately, no area of the United States or country in the world is immune from individuals who seek to sexually exploit children through child pornography,” the department stated. “The continuous production and distribution of child pornography increases the demand for new and more egregious images, perpetuating the continued molestation of child victims, as well as the abuse of new children.”