Former Youth Minister Indicted on Sex Abuse Charges after FBI Investigation
A former youth minister at one of the most prominent churches in Northern Virginia has been arrested and charged with coercing and trying to coerce three minors into sexual activity between the 1990s and early 2000s, according to a federal grand jury indictment.
A former youth minister, Jeff Turner Taylor, has been indicted on sex abuse charges following an FBI investigation. Taylor, 66, served as the youth minister and director of adult discipleship at the Falls Church Episcopal in Northern Virginia from 1990 to early 2002. The indictment charges him with three counts of coercion and enticement, as well as four counts of traveling out of state with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
The allegations span between the 1990s and early 2000s, involving three different minors. The alleged incidents included coercing and attempting to coerce the minors into sexual activity. The accusations were first made to the church leadership and the FBI over several years, leading to a church-commissioned report in 2024. The FBI affidavit identifies six boys who claim Taylor sexually abused, groomed, or engaged in inappropriate touching with them.
Taylor's attorney plans to plead not guilty, while the rector of the Falls Church Episcopal expressed sorrow over the allegations. The indictment follows a 2023 FBI investigation prompted by a Bethesda, Maryland, couple whose son belonged to Taylor's youth group.
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