Son of Life Church pastor sentenced to 4 years in prison for child exploitation

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Jonathan Peternel, the 24-year-old son of lead pastor of the multicampus Life Church in Pendleton, Indiana, Nathan Peternel, will spend the next four years in prison and another two years on probation after pleading guilty to child exploitation and possession of child sex abuse material charges.

The younger Peternel, who will also have to register as a sex offender, apologized to Madison Superior Court 6 Judge Mark Dudley, his parents, and everyone affected by his actions before his sentencing, according to The Indiana Citizen.

“Your honor, first, I want to say that I’m deeply sorry. I hate my sin that I’ve committed,” he said. “I want to apologize to anybody who has fallen victim to my behavior.”

A press statement from the Fishers Police Department last October said an investigation into Jonathan Peternel began after authorities received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The CyberTip was submitted by popular multimedia messaging app Snapchat and showed five files of suspected child sex abuse material involving prepubescent children.

A search warrant was subsequently issued for Jonathan Peternel's Snapchat account, where investigators said they found more child sex abuse material. They also found evidence suggesting that the younger Peternel was sharing the material with other users. Detectives reported finding more than 200 files of child sex abuse material during a search of the Peternel residence in Pendleton.

"Some of this included sadomasochistic child abuse, children that appeared to be drugged or intoxicated while being abused, violent child molestation, and photorealistic AI-generated photos of nude pregnant toddlers," investigators said.

Jonathan Peternel was charged with one count of child exploitation, a Level 4 felony; two counts of possession of child sex abuse material, Level 5 felonies; and one count of possession of child sex abuse material, a Level 6 felony.

Investigators with the Hamilton County Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force said they also found more than 50 photos and videos on Jonathan Peternel's phone showing his parents nude or engaged in sex acts, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Pastor Nathan Peternel, who co-hosts the podcast "Jesus, Sex and Politics" with Indiana’s Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, later told his congregation that the private intimate videos and photos of him and his wife were hacked by his son.

“Within the covenant of our marriage, my wife and I created private, intimate photos and videos,” he explained in a recording. “We've only ever been faithful to one another. And although those files were password-protected, they were hacked from a device without our consent, without our knowledge, and that was done by our son, who was high at the time.”

When investigators went to serve their search warrant at the Peternel residence on Sept. 10, 2025, both Jonathan and his father answered the door, according to the probable cause affidavit.

When the younger Peternel was read his Miranda rights, he reportedly told investigators that he is a member of the Indiana National Guard and worked as a Blackhawk helicopter mechanic in Shelbyville.

When he was told he was under investigation for child exploitation and possession of child sexual abuse material, he asked to speak to an attorney.

Investigators seized several electronic devices, including multiple laptops, iPads, tablets, cellphones, and storage devices from the home. Investigators also allegedly found chat logs suggesting that Jonathan Peternel was distributing the material through a Snapchat group called "Diddy Disciples," which referenced controversial music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, who is serving a 50-month sentence for violating the Mann Act.

On Friday, Jonathan Peternel apologized for the “unbelievable stress and embarrassment” he caused his loved ones.

“I’m sorry for putting you in this humiliating situation,” he told his parents in court. “You’ve been dishonored, your wonderful reputations have been ruined, and your names have been dragged through the mud all because I cared about myself more than you.”

He told the court that his behavior is “completely contrary to the way I was raised” and noted that he has since recommitted his life to God and completed a 12-step addiction recovery program.

“I promise to spend the rest of my life fighting the wickedness that I participated in,” he said, according to The Indiana Citizen. “Through faith in the Lord, I trust that your sentence will be proper.”

Dudley acknowledged that while Jonathan Peternel appeared to be on the “lower end” of the spectrum of sex offenders, he was not convinced that he would not reoffend and had to respond with the sentence he handed down.

“You alluded to it, but what you do affects what other people do and has them exploit minors. That’s pretty darn serious … and my sentencing reflects that,” Dudley said.

“You have a strong personality and a lot of family support … rely on them and you can do good,” he added. “Don’t give up just because you’re in the Department of Corrections. You’re there, not because it’s going to make you a better person — you’re there for accountability. You can use that time for your benefit and the benefit of others.”