VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) — A former church employee could be sentenced by a judge on Monday.
Dillon Jacobs is accused of illegally shooting video of children in a church bathroom.
In April of 2017, a child found his cell phone under a urinal at Virginia Beach United Methodist Church, recording bathroom activity.
Court records state that the alleged incident took place on April 6 and that meetings were taking place at the church that day. A number of people were in the building.
The boy who said he found the phone under the urinal told a church staff member, who then called police.
Two days later, detectives interviewed Jacobs. The part-time church employee told police he left his phone and jacket in the men's room by accident.
The boy who found it said the phone's camera lens clearly was angled toward the urinal. Only the lens portion was showing. It was on and recording.
The pastor of Virginia Beach United Methodist Church told 13News Now the church fired Jacobs immediately when it found out about the allegation. The pastor wouldn't disclose Jacobs' former position with the church, but he said the church thoroughly vetted him before it hired him.
In August of 2017, police arrested Jacobs and charged him with four counts of Unlawful Creation of a Video of a Minor. Then earlier this year, two of those counts were dropped due to insufficient evidence, while Jacobs pleaded not guilty to the remaining charges.
Despite the not guilty plea, Jacobs stipulated that there was enough evidence that would be sufficient to find him guilty, in what is known as an Alford plea.
At Monday's hearing, a judge is expected to rule on if the Alford plea will be accepted, and if so, Jacobs will be sentenced.
