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Lutheran pastor charged with child porn possession

ST. CHARLES, Mo. (AP) – Saint Charles County cybercrime investigators say a raid of a Lutheran pastor’s home turned up child pornography on his computer.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that 36-year-old Matthew Luetke was charged Wednesday with promoting child pornography as part of an undercover investigation that began in December. His cash-only bail was set at $100,000.

Luetke is a pastor at Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church in O’Fallon, Mo., and previously worked at churches in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The evangelical church has its own daycare center, but police say they don’t suspect Luetke had any improper contact with children there. Church officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Additional information from KSDK TV in St. Louis report that Luetke told police he had exposed himself and allowed his genitals to be touched by female relatives when they were pre-school age when the family was living in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Those incidents are said to have occurred between 2004 and 2008.

Although, The St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department does not believe Luetke had any contact with children who attended daycare at the facility or the children of parishioners, church officials are notifying parents as a precaution.

Luetke moved to New Ulm in 1997 to attend Martin Luther College. He then attended Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wis., graduation in 2006. Upon graduation, Luetke was assigned to serve Ascension Lutheran Church in Rochester, Minn.

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