A former youth minister and school volunteer brought up on multiple charges involving minors was rescheduled from his Tuesday court appearance, as officials anticipate his case being taken over by federal authorities. 

Bobby Cassady, 29, of Danville, has been charged with 22 counts of first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor under 18; first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor under 16; promoting a sexual performance by a minor under the age of 18; possessing or viewing matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor; and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse. 

Cassady was working at Gethsemane Baptist Church and volunteered in the Danville Schools system when he was charged in October 2015. 

Commonwealth’s Attorney Richard Bottoms said he believed they were taking the case, but had not yet. He expects to find out “any day now” regarding their plans.

According to files obtained from the Boyle County Circuit Clerk’s Office, Danville Police officers were contacted in 2015 by a juvenile male who said a man was being held against his will. The investigation led them to Cassady’s address at the time. Police believed Cassady was the possible victim. Officers made contact with Cassady, who was “found to be safe and that he was not being held against his will.”

Cassady was friends with the juvenile who called police and told officers that “he had knowledge that the juvenile had been receiving strange messages from strange numbers, but has not reported those incidents to the juvenile’s parents.” The report states that the juvenile had been contacted by “various unknown numbers. These contacts were requesting the juvenile to send explicit photos and video of himself and contained threats if the juvenile did not comply.”

One of the threats received said Cassady would be hurt if the juvenile did not send an explicit video; he complied.

Other threats sent to the teen said “he would be exposed and that the photos would be released. The messages were direct and demanding of the juvenile.” One of the phone numbers was “associated with a contact identified as (Cassady),” according to the file.

“The nature of those phone messages indicated that (Cassady) was conducting some kind of investigation into the unknown individual that was making demands for the explicit images,” and that the juvenile was told to continue responding to the messages while Cassady “was conducting his investigation,” police reported.

“Based on the messages, it appears that the juvenile was being told that (Cassady) has some kind of police powers and that he conducts such investigations and or arrests.”

The file also states that an unidentified witness came forward claiming to have had a conversation with Cassady in which he said he “was doing bad things and was making contact with juveniles and getting explicit images from them.”

“According to the witness, the juveniles were unaware that the person they were sending the images to was really (Cassady).”

According to the file, Cassady allegedly told officers that he was the one obtaining the images, was using a “phone or computer application” that allowed him to do so anonymously, and that it had been going on for three or four months. The juvenile was not aware it was Cassady, the file states.

Cassady is out on a $50,000 cash bond.

Other cases which were also delayed Tuesday include:

• Jerry Mathes, for a pretrial conference, to potentially set a court date. Instead, he will see another delay, being asked to reappear in May. 

The Danville Police Department was dispatched to Jerry’s Body Shop at about 11 p.m. on Oct. 24, 2014, after a report of an altercation involving a handgun. When officers arrived, they found Mathes and Ricky Cole, a customer at the time, engaged in a fight. Cole, also a local business owner, had suffered a gunshot wound.

According to files from the Boyle County Circuit Clerk’s office, Mathes and Cole were arguing over money owed on a truck belonging to Cole.

Officers also found a small packet of white powder that tested positive as cocaine, according to archives.

Initially, Mathes was charged with attempted murder, but that was later amended to a first-degree assault charge. He was also charged with possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He is out on a $22,000 cash bond.

• Marion Fisher, for a pretrial conference. It has been reset to May.

Fisher faces charges of one count fleeing or evading police, first degree; second offense of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs; operating on a suspended license; third degree possession of a controlled substance, drug unspecified; first degree resisting arrest; first degree unlawful imprisonment; first degree wanton endangerment; and first degree wanton endangerment for a police officer. He also faces a charge of first degree persistent felony offender, based on the culmination of the charges he already faced.

Fisher is accused of kidnapping Sharon Harmon, after taking her on a ride against her will that began near Springfield and ended in a foot pursuit in Harrodsburg.

There were 179 people in court on Tuesday — 99 of those were on drug-related charges, with some facing multiple counts. Of those, 23 charges were relating to heroin; 51 charges were relating to methamphetamine; 17 charges were relating to fentanyl; six charges were relating to cocaine; 31 charges were relating to drug paraphernalia; 12 charges were relating to an unspecified drug; four charges were relating to synthetic drugs; and one charges was relating to marijuana.

Follow Kendra Peek on Twitter, @knpeek.