Former Volusia pastor sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading no contest to child porn possession

Detectives say John Griffin shared pornographic images of children

John Robert Griffin II (Volusia County Jail)

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A former Ormond Beach pastor at Riverbend Community Church and former Embry Riddle Aeronautical University professor was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading no contest to charges of possessing child pornography, according to the state attorney’s office.

John Griffin, 74, will also be required to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison and will be banned from contacting minors during his sentence, according to prosecutors.

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According to court records, Griffin’s computers had images of victims as young as 4 years old.

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“It is amazing how folks like the defendant can deceive people so completely. His arrest has exposed him, and his sentence has held him accountable for his sexually criminal behavior,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said in a press release.

The investigation on Griffin started after a tip from Snapchat in August of 2020 was sent to the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children.


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