Crime
12-year-old Juan Acevedo found deceased in a pond near Mica Avenue in Virginia
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – The body of 12-year-old Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo, who was the subject of an AMBER Alert, has been found in a pond near the 200 block of Mica Avenue, close to where he was last seen.
Authorities recovered the body after an extensive search effort near the apartment complex where Juan disappeared. The discovery was confirmed by Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate during a press conference on Monday.
“Our marine patrol was out early this morning checking the ponds,” Neudigate said. “Utilizing new sonar technology, we recovered a body approximately eight feet underwater that matches the physical and clothing descriptions of Juan Acevedo.”
While an official identification is still pending from the medical examiner’s office, Virginia State Police have canceled the AMBER Alert, stating the “juvenile has been located.”
Juan’s parents reported him missing Friday evening after he failed to return home from what they believed was a visit to a friend’s house. Police were notified around 9 p.m. after the family was unable to locate him.
Following the family’s public plea for help, they began receiving ransom demands through social media, which led authorities to treat the case as a potential abduction. The AMBER Alert was issued Saturday morning as law enforcement agencies intensified their search efforts.
On Monday, Chief Neudigate emphasized that the decision to search the pond was proactive and not based on any specific tip. “We had no specific intelligence that this might be an area of interest,” he said. “We were simply being thorough and leaving no stone unturned.”
Chief Neudigate stated it is too early to determine whether foul play was involved in Juan’s death. The medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death, which will guide the next steps in the investigation.
Authorities are also investigating the ransom threats made to Juan’s family. The police chief revealed that the family received a demand for $500, which was paid, but no further communication was received.
“One of our theories is that it may have been a scam, but we would be negligent not to treat this as an actual abduction until we know otherwise,” Neudigate explained. “Our detectives are working to determine whether these threats were legitimate or part of a cruel hoax.”
Chief Neudigate extended his condolences to Juan’s family and the broader Virginia Beach community.
“This is a period of grieving for the family, and we will be there to support them during this unimaginably difficult time,” he said.
The Virginia Beach Police Department is continuing its investigation and urges anyone with information related to Juan’s disappearance or the ransom threats to contact them immediately.
For updates or to provide tips, please contact the Virginia Beach Police Department or Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
Crime
Former Texas Worship Minister and Christian Musician Jon Sheptock Arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material Charges
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas — A married Christian musician and former worship minister who once performed at a rally for former President Donald Trump has been arrested on multiple child sexual abuse material (CSAM) charges, authorities confirmed.
According to officials, Jon Sheptock, a former minister at First Montgomery Baptist Church, was taken into custody on September 26 by detectives from the Montgomery County Constable’s Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Unit.
He faces charges of possession and production of child pornography following a detailed investigation into allegations of long-term misconduct.
The arrest was based on testimony from a woman who alleged that Sheptock stole a photograph of her approximately nine years ago, when she was 17 years old.
The victim told investigators that after sending her the image, Sheptock demanded explicit photographs and later sent her a video depicting a violent assault, warning that he “did not want that to happen to her.”
Court records further indicate that Sheptock showed the victim nude images of both adults and minors on his computer.
Investigators allege that the misconduct continued as recently as October 2023, when Sheptock reportedly sent a text message to the victim containing a nude image of young girls.
Before his arrest, Sheptock was widely known as a Christian recording artist and motivational speaker.
His now-deleted website biography stated that he was born without arms and with one leg shorter than the other, yet went on to describe himself as a “thriving Christian recording artist and speaker.” He has been married for 26 years and is the father of three daughters.
In a public statement, First Montgomery Baptist Church confirmed that Sheptock was immediately removed from all ministry responsibilities following his arrest.
The church emphasized that Sheptock did not hold any position involving direct contact with children, and there is no indication that minors associated with the church were involved or affected.
Sheptock gained wider public attention in January 2022, when he performed the national anthem at a rally for then-President Donald Trump, according to The Independent.
If convicted, Sheptock faces a potential prison sentence ranging from two to twenty years.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are encouraging anyone with additional information to contact the Montgomery County Constable’s Office Human Traffic.