SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - The 62-year-old Laurel pastor from Storm Shelter Ministries who is being prosecuted by the Delaware Department of Justice for child pornography and theft charges claims PTSD as the reason he requested nude photos from a minor, according to court documents.
Detectives say they became aware of concerning text messages between Leonard Eley and a teenage girl from his church this summer. According to documents, in those messages dated June 30, Eley offered to send money through CashApp in exchange for nude pictures.
Documents say Eley paid the victim at least $150 for the photos and used the church's CashApp account for it. In her interview with the detective, the victim said that she remained in contact with the pastor while she was a runaway because he paid her cell phone bill. According to detectives, Eley told the victim multiple times to delete the text conversations between them, and made other lewd statements to the victim.
Milton police officers began investigating the case, as the victim was staying in Milton when Eley asked for the nude photos. When confronted by detectives, police say Eley confessed to asking for the pictures, paying for them, and stated that his PTSD must be the reason that he requested the pictures. Eley allegedly told officers that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from a traumatic brain injury that occurred while he was in the military. Police say his confession was recorded on a body cam.
Eley is currently out on bail. He will appear in court for arraignment on Jan. 6.