Ex-Newnan minister gets 20-year sentences for explicit child videos

Former Newnan minister sentenced for child exploitation

A former minister at a Newnan church is headed to prison after being convicted for the sexual exploitation of children. 

NEWNAN, Ga. - A former minister in Newnan received multiple 20-year prison sentences for the sexual exploitation of children after investigators discovered illicit videos on his electronic devices.

What we know:

James Morgan Gravley pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation of children in Coweta County Court on April 27. A judge handed down multiple 20-year prison sentences for each count, and he is required to serve 10 years.

The investigation was launched by the Coweta County Sheriff’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit after they received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Authorities arrested Gravley after finding multiple videos depicting child sexual activity.

The backstory:

Gravley was initially arrested on two counts in April 2024. At the time of his arrest, jail records indicated he was married with three children and was employed as a minister to families at a Newnan church. 

Investigators said at the time that the church was not involved in his online activities and no children at the church were suspected of being harmed.