The US Attorneys Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced Thursday that Ashley James Crouse, 53, of Granite Falls, N.C., was sentenced to 10 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for possession and receipt of child sexual abuse material.
Crouse, who was a pastor at the New Vision Baptist Fellowship in Granite Falls was arrested in November of 2023, after detectives discovered Crouse had used the church’s computer to access, view, and download material depicting the sexual exploitation of children. Crouse admitted to law enforcement officers that he had been downloading and collecting child pornography for five to six years.
A forensic examination of Crouse’s church computer and other digital devices revealed that Crouse shared child pornography and links to child pornography through the Telegram application and that he had used AI and a software program to make child and other pornography. In total, Crouse possessed over 1,200 videos and 450 images depicting the sexual abuse of children.
On August 21, 2024, Crouse pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography that involved a minor who had not attained the age of 12 years, and receipt of child pornography.
Crouse was also ordered to register as a sex offender after his released from prison.
Crouse remains in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
