Long Beach pastor being investigated for possession of child porn

A Long Beach pastor is being investigated for possession of child pornography, the Long Beach Police Department has confirmed.

On Sept. 9, child abuse detectives were made aware that Jeff Zabel, 50, had admitted to viewing child pornography, according to the Long Beach Police Department. Detectives arranged a meeting with Zabel, who was taken into custody after the interview, the department said.

Zabel was booked on one count of possession of child pornography and later “released on his own recognizance,” according to the department, which added the investigation is ongoing.

Arbor Road Church leadership declined to answer questions from the Watchdog. But in an email to members, Lead Pastors Brent Eldridge and Alan Kim said the situation has caused them a “profound sense of sadness, frustration, anger, and disappointment.”

In their Sept. 11 email obtained by the Watchdog, the pastors explained that they were made aware of a “concerning moral failure in the life” of Zabel on Sept. 8. The following day, church leadership met with Zabel and urged him to “face the situation with humility, honesty, and forthrightness,” according to the email.

“During the hour-long meeting that followed, Jeff openly disclosed (in detail) long-term moral failure in his life spanning more than a decade,” the email reads. “The severity of the deception made it crystal clear to everyone in the room that Jeff was no longer suitable for his role.”

Zabel, who had been employed as the pastor of worship and service production since June 2008, according to his Linkedin profile, resigned on the spot, the pastors said. Zabel also was removed from his role as a music teacher at Lakewood Christian School, which occupies the same facility as Arbor Road Church.

The school, at which Zabel taught music 10 hours per week, has students from preschool through 8th grade on campus as well as an academy for parents who homeschool their high school students. It’s unclear what age students Zabel worked with at the school.

“We have offered our assistance to LBPD and are ready to help in any way necessary,” the pastors said in their email. “Please keep Jeff's wife, Samantha, and their three daughters in your prayers.”

During the church’s two services Sunday, the situation with Zabel was alluded to but he was not mentioned by name. Eldridge began each service acknowledging that the congregation was “coming out of a real thick week.”

Eldridge noted several major events that have happened recently, including “murders on subway trains,” referring to the slaying of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska last month; school shootings, presumably referring to the most recent at Evergreen High School in Colorado; 9/11 memorials; the killing of far-right political commentator Charlie Kirk, known for his divisive debates and ideas that many considered racist, misogynistic, xenophobic and homophobic; and, “of course, everything that we’ve been walking through around here at Arbor Road.”

“It’s been a tough walk for our whole staff and for our church school,” Eldridge said. “I’ve been gutted this week. I’ve just been annihilated. I’ve just been seeing fuzzy all week. I’ve lost a lot of sleep. I’ve lost a lot of tears.”

Later in the services, Kim led church-goers in a prayer, during which he prayed for Kirk, an admitted white Christian nationalist, and his family.

“We thank you for Charlie Kirk's life,” Kim said. “He was a man of faith, bold about his beliefs. And I just pray that you would continue to help us to be a church that is bold.”

Kim’s prayer did not include mention of Zabel or his family.

It’s unclear if the family requested to not be mentioned during the services, which are live streamed and archived on the church’s website, or if the decision was made by church leadership.

The pastors, for their part, said in their email that they would keep members updated as Zabel's case moves forward.

A child pornography-related offense in California can result in misdemeanor or felony charges, depending on the severity of the case, according to Sevens Legal. A felony offense can carry a sentence of up to eight years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

“The repercussions of a child pornography conviction can remain long after you have served your sentence, affecting virtually every aspect of your life, from your career to your family relationships to your standing in the community,” the law office writes.