REIDSVILLE, N.C. — A former Winston-Salem–area pastor has been charged after an investigation into sexually explicit images involving underage girls, according to law enforcement and court documents.
Chadwick Joel Branch, 56, of Reidsville, was arrested on Nov. 20 following an investigation led by the Invictus Task Force, a multi-agency unit that includes the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities said the investigation began in July 2024 after the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children submitted multiple cyber tips indicating illegal content.
Investigators executed search warrants on internet service providers, residences and business locations before identifying Branch as a suspect. He was taken into custody with assistance from the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Reidsville Police Department.
Branch is charged with eight counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. He is being held on a $75,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in Forsyth County District Court on Dec. 8.
Separate reporting earlier this year linked a man with the same name and age to a February arrest in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., where authorities alleged child sexual abuse material was located through an Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigation. That outlet also reported Branch was previously a pastor in Sutherlin, Va., though North Carolina authorities did not reference any pastoral connection in their release.
The Invictus Task Force said the investigation remains active and encouraged anyone with relevant information to contact the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.