UPDATE: 77-year-old Jefferson City man jailed without bond for child pornography is a former priest

Cole County’s prosecutor has charged an elderly Jefferson City man with promoting and possession of child pornography, which are class B felonies.

77-year-old Melvin Joseph Lahr was arrested Wednesday after the Boone County Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Task Force served a court-ordered search warrant at his residence. Cole County prosecutor Locke Thompson confirms the 77-year-old Lahr is a former priest. Lahr was removed from the ministry in 2018, according to 2018 reporting from the Associated Press.

Lahr is jailed this afternoon without bond, and the Cole County Court describes him as a danger to the community. The two-page probable cause statement from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Task Force quotes Lahr as allegedly telling detectives that he’s been sexually attracted to children for most of his adult life, and that he’s viewed nude images of children online for about 30 years. The court documents are very graphic, and allege that Lahr had videos on his computer depicting preschool age females performing oral sex on adult men. The probable cause statement says multiple electronic items belonging to Lahr has been seized and are pending a forensic exam.