Gregory Wayne Jones was well-respected in his community of Mountain Home, Idaho. His work as a director of operations at a daycare and as a pastor made Jones a trusted civilian in the area. That is until he was arrested on heinous accusations.
The investigation into Jones began on January 31, 2025, according to a statement by the Elmore County Sheriff. It was then that multiple alleged victims came forward and provided “critical evidence” for the case against Jones. It’s unclear exactly how many victims have come forward at this point in the investigation.
The pastor was taken into custody on Friday (April 25) and charged with Sexual penetration with a foreign object and Human sex trafficking, according to reports. He is being held at the Elmore County Detention Center in Idaho.
Jones previously worked at NXT Dream Center, which describes itself as “a non-profit 501(c)(3) Community Development Corporation (CDC)” providing community support for veterans, seniors and youth. Jones was listed as the Director of Operations for at NXT.
After news of Jones’ arrest broke, community members came forward to express their shock. “I am disgusted. I’m angry,” Kerstyn Tracy, a parent at NXT told Idaho News 6. “And [I’m] very distrusting of not only the sheriff’s department at this point but daycare facilities in general,” she continued.
According to Tracy, NXT never informed the parents or greater NXT community of Jones’ arrest. Instead, she had to find out through her Facebook friends. “They have yet to put out a statement or address any communication, email, text, phone call, in person,” Tracy said.
She went on to say she knew Jones, and he worked closely with the kids at the daycare facility. “They [NXT] were aware that he’s being investigated for sex crimes. And I feel like that is a possibility of a danger to our children. And I am very upset about that,” she added.
In addition to his role at NXT, Jones was also listed as a “Pastor/Evangelist” on the Liberty Christian Fellowship Church’s website. Jones is also a military veteran and was even honored as “Person of the Year” in 2013 during the 24th Annual Black History Banquet in Mountain Home, according to Idaho News 6.
Jones is being held on a $1 million bond. Police say they expect more victims to come forward as the investigation continues. Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office.