SMYRNA, Ga. — A 71-year-old retired minister was arrested on Thursday morning.
71-Year-Old Ex-Minister Accused Of Child Porn
FBI agents, with the assistance of Sandy Springs police, arrested Albert Turnell Jr. at his Smyrna home, FBI Atlanta Agent Stephen Emmett said in a news release. He is a former minister of the First United Methodist Church of Smyrna.
Turnell was being charged federally with possession and distribution of child pornography, Emmett said. The charges stemmed from an investigation by FBI Atlanta and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Channel 2 Action News reporter Tom Regan was in a downtown Atlanta court, where Turnell faced a judge. As the U.S. Magistrate Judge read the charges, Turnell's wife cried. The judge agreed to a $50,000 bond and electronic monitoring of Turnell as he waits for trial. He is required supervision if in contact with his grandchildren. The judge also barred Turnell from Internet access.
Neighbors told Regan they were stunned by the arrest.
"This is just such a shock to me. I don't know what to say," neighbor Judy Caylor said. "I know his wife. She seems like a very nice lady. I don't know him well, but I'm just sorry to hear this."
WSBTV
