Protester at Virginia Beach’s Rock Church arrested after pastor files charges against him
A man who’s been protesting for months against Rock Church pastor John Blanchard was arrested Sunday after the pastor sought charges against him.
Jamie Thomas, 43, was handcuffed outside the church and taken before a magistrate. He was charged with stalking and disclosing expunged police records — both misdemeanors — and was released on his own recognizance shortly afterward.
Thomas said he was protesting with his wife, their 23-year-old son, and another person when three Virginia Beach police officers arrived. He recorded the event with his cellphone and posted it to YouTube afterward, which he said he routinely does after a protest.
Thomas said he began his weekly demonstrations against Blanchard in January after learning about prostitution-related charges the megachurch pastor had faced.
Blanchard was one of 17 men arrested in October 2021 during a police sting in Chesterfield County. Police said the men had been communicating with an undercover officer posing as a 17-year-old prostitute and arranged to meet the person at a motel. Each were arrested and charged after they arrived.
While most of the men were fully prosecuted, prosecutors asked to withdraw charges against Blanchard and one other man. Earlier this year, however, Chesterfield County Commonwealth’s Attorney Stacey Davenport announced her office had obtained new evidence against Blanchard and she was referring the case to a special prosecutor from Brunswick County. A judge recently gave the special prosecutor until June 7 to decide whether he plans to seek an indictment of the pastor.
In December, Blanchard filed a request to have his charges expunged from his record. A hearing was held on the matter last month but the judge agreed to hold off on ruling on it until after the special prosecutor decides whether to seek new charges. Online court records show the case is scheduled for a status hearing on June 7. Blanchard previously had a 2019 criminal case filed against him by a former church member expunged from his record after a Virginia Beach District Court judge found him not guilty.
Documents provided by Thomas show Blanchard went to a magistrate to file a criminal complaint against him at 1:44 a.m. Sunday. The document said Thomas had come to Blanchard’s “place of work and worship” at least 15 times and had behaved in an intimidating and threatening manner.
“He has stated that he has us under surveillance and is using the ‘Starlink’ security system and knows everything we do,” the complaint said. “He has stated personal information that is not public and has repeatedly said he is looking forward to a confrontation.”
Blanchard didn’t immediately return a phone message The Virginian-Pilot left for him at the church on Monday.
Thomas called the pastor’s claims “bogus.” He said he always stays on a public sidewalk outside the church when he protests, using signs and a bullhorn to get his message across.
Thomas said he’s only seen Blanchard one time and it was about two weeks ago. On that occasion, he said Blanchard came out of the church, got into his car and drove away as Thomas yelled, “Run, run, run. We’ll see you next week,” at him.
In the video posted Sunday, Thomas can repeatedly be heard saying things like, “Pedophiles don’t belong in churches. They belong in jail.”
Thomas said he sees himself as an “activist for the children” and wants to ensure that people going to Rock Church know about the allegations the pastor has faced. He said he also wants to see Blanchard treated the same as the other men he was charged with during the police sting.
Jane Harper, jane.harper@pilotonline.com
