Caleb Lide Jordan, 30, was arrested and charged with four counts of exploitation of a minor, including solicitation of a minor for sex.
The current Charleston-area real estate agent and former youth pastor at NewSpring Charleston was arrested in late February after an investigation by local and state law enforcement.
A former member of NewSpring reached out to ABC News 4 to reveal Jordan’s role at the church and her concerns.
“I volunteered at NewSpring’s youth ministry called Fuse, which was every Wednesday night, and Caleb Jordan was the boys youth pastor at Fuse,” said the woman, who wished to remain anonymous. “He had access as the youth pastor to a wide range of young men there.”
NewSpring confirmed Jordan worked at the church in various roles from August 2011 to September of 2015, according to the church’s communications director Suzanne Swift.
Swift said Jordan passed both federal and state background checks prior to his employment, and there was no cause for concern.
Jordan described his positions on his LinkedIn account as the church’s Next Steps Direct, Campus Pastor Assistant, and Student Ministry Director.
Swift said Jordan resigned from his role as campus pastor assistant in 2015 but remained on in a volunteer capacity until his arrest.
“Once we were made aware of these charges, we immediately terminated his ability to volunteer in any capacity at NewSpring,” Swift added.
NewSpring leaders have no reason to believe anything inappropriate has happened between minors at the church and Jordan, and they have not been contacted by law enforcement, according to Swift.
Still, the former member who spoke to us is concerned given Jordan’s former position of trust.
“Caleb's primary role was to provide care to young men, ages of 12-18, through his role at Fuse at their youth pastor,” she said.
She described “care” as a type of closed-door Christian counseling.
“It’s highly alarming to me, and we see this happening more frequently,” she said. “I think this is a good chance for NewSpring or other Christian churches to step up and do the right thing and address this, as one of their former youth pastors to come out with charges like this. I hope they step up and do the right thing.”
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson did not disclose the age or gender of the minor in a statement after Jordan’s arrest.
We also reached out to the local arresting agency, but we haven’t heard back.