Youth leader at Giles Church where abduction occurred facing child pornography charges

Charles Boothe, Bluefield Daily Telegraph, W.Va.
·1 min read

May 6—PEARISBURG, Va. — A Pearisburg man who was a youth leader at the same church in Giles County that was the scene of a child abduction Sunday is facing child pornography charges.

But Giles County Commonwealth's Attorney Robert Lilley Jr. said each case has "absolutely nothing to do with the other."

Justin Elliot Graves, 31, was a youth leader at Riverview Baptist Church in Ripplemead.

According to the Roanoke Times, Graves allegedly asked a boy at the church for a photo of his genitals in December 2020 and the requests continued until last week. That is when the boy spoke to investigators and Graves was arrested and had a bond hearing Wednesday, but no further details were available.

Graves is facing numerous child pornography charges, but Lilley said more information on the case has not been yet released and it is in the hands of the Giles County Sheriff's Office.

Lilley said it was an "odd coincidence" that the Graves case surfaced right after the abduction and the two are totally unrelated.

On Sunday morning, a Clifton Forge woman walked into the church's nursery and walked out with 2-year-old Noah Trout.

He was located on Monday in Nancy Fridley's Clifton Forge home, and was safe and unharmed.