New Sex Charges Filed Against Church Youth Leader

More charges have been filed against a youth coordinator at a Smithfield area church who was arrested earlier this year on statutory rape charges.

On February 26th, 24 year-old Michael Todd Jansco of Clayton was reportedly caught inside his SUV with a 15 year-old female in the parking lot of River Dell Elementary School on Buffalo Road outside of Clayton at 2:25 in the morning.

The officer noticed a suspicious SUV parked between the bus parking lot and school cafeteria. After approaching the vehicle, the officer found a naked male and female under a blanket.

Jansco, the Youth Coordinator at Elizabeth United Methodist Church on Cleveland Road outside of Smithfield, was initially charged with statutory rape of a child.

Deputies seized his cell phone and after conducting a search warrant on the phone allegedly found sexually explicit photos and texts.  This resulted in additional charges being filed against him on Wednesday. Those charges including second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of disseminating obscene material to a minor under 16.

When arrested in February, Jansco initially told deputies he was 18 but after performing a routine background check the officer determined he was actually 24 years-old.  Jansco admitted to picking up the 15 year-old female at her home and stated he had met the girl at church, according to Sheriff’s Captain Jeff Caldwell.

Jansco had been held on a $50,000 bond on the statutory rape charge. With the added charges his bond has now been increased to $200,000.