A Florida pastor and support staff member at a local elementary school has been arrested and charged with two child sex abuse felonies. 

Jeffery Summers, 51, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Port Orange, was arrested on Friday evening by deputies of Port Orange Police Department, according to court records. He was charged with solicitation for sexual conduct with a child over a computer and traveling to meet a minor for sexual conduct.

The arrest came as part of “Operation Full Throttle” last weekend. The initiative included several Florida law enforcement agencies and targeted child predators, according to a Port Orange Police press release. Sixteen people were arrested and charged with various crimes related to child sexual exploitation.

Summers also worked as a paraprofessional at Horizon Elementary, a public school in Port Orange, reportedly working with special education children. On Sunday, school principal Melani Johnson sent an email to parents, which was obtained by The Roys Report (TRR).

The email informed parents that “a staff member at Horizon was arrested for inappropriate interaction with a minor. We take these charges very seriously,” Johnson wrote.

In a statement to TRR, Sarah Lux, a spokesperson for Volusia County Schools, said school administrators are also conducting an investigation. 

“Our staff is working with law enforcement to ensure their investigation can move forward appropriately,” said Lux. “The individual has been placed on leave and will have no interaction with students moving forward.” 

Lux added that further action regarding Summers’ employment with Volusia County Schools will be determined based on the findings of the investigation.

Summers became pastor at New Hope Baptist Church in November 2013, according to a post on the church’s Facebook page.

TRR reached out via phone and email to the church for comment but did not receive a response. 

New Hope Baptist Church does not have a working website, and every listed number has apparently been disconnected. On Dec. 24, 2024, a social post by Jeff Summers referred to a Christmas Eve Service at the church, but otherwise the church appears inactive. 

The church is listed as a member of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) of Florida.

After initial publication of this story, CBF Florida Coordinator Tammy Snyder stated to TRR that New Hope Baptist Church “has financially contributed to CBF in the past” and confirmed that Summers is the congregation’s pastor. 

This story has been updated to include a response from CBF.

Josh Shepherd is production editor at The Roys Report and a journalist who writes on faith, culture, and public policy for several media outlets. He and his family live in central Florida.