A pastor, was placed on leave after his arrest for felony possession of obscene material involving minors.
Ty Michael Baze, a 54-year-old captain and pastor for the Santa Monica Salvation Army, was taken into custody on felony charges involving the possession of child sexual abuse material, as reported by NBC 4 Los Angeles News.
Santa Monica Police Department officials confirmed the April 10 arrest, which occurred without incident. Baze faces felony counts for the possession of obscene matter depicting minors in sexual acts, a discovery that led to his immediate removal from active duty.
The Salvation Army issued a formal statement following the arrest, noting that Baze has been placed on administrative leave pending the final results of the criminal investigation. Jail records currently list Baze’s profession as a pastor within the charitable organization, according to NBC 4 LA News.
As of Thursday afternoon, Baze remained incarcerated with bail set at $250,000.
