Former church music director indicted for child pornography

A federal grand jury indicted a former Ridgecrest Baptist Church employee this week for child pornography.

Craig Wieneke, the Springfield church’s former music director, was charged in a June 13 indictment and arrested Monday after his first initial court appearance. He’s accused of receiving and distributing child pornography over the internet, according to a news release from the office of Tom Larson, acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Wieneke, 31, allegedly distributed online child porn from Nov. 10, 2016, to April 4 of this year. During that time, he worked as the music director for the church, according to the release.

Wieneke remains in federal custody until his pending detention hearing.

The case was investigated by the Springfield Police Department, Greene County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Kelleher and was recognized as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Project Safe Childhood was created in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse. The nationwide initiative uses federal, state and local resources to prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and works to identify and rescue victims. This program is led by the U.S. attorneys’ offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, according to the release.