John Balyo, a Former Christian Radio Host, Was

Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison Thursday

Former WCSG Christian radio host John Balyo was sentenced to 40 years in prison Thursday for sexual exploitation and child pornography. He will also have to register for the sex offender list and wear an electronic monitor for life.

Police found a bondage kit and other evidence that the 35-year-old preyed on minors in a storage unit he rented. They also found piles of articles about missing children, children’s obituaries and an erotic photography magazine.

Early Life and Education

As a young man, john balyo was on debating teams and dreamed of attending law school. He ultimately enrolled at Atlanta Law School and graduated in 1940.

After college, he decided to pursue the Christian ministry. He served churches in Elkhart, Indiana and Kokomo, Indiana.

He later joined the faculty at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also served as a guest speaker at many church conferences.

In the summer of 2014, while hosting a music festival with WCSG radio, investigators found a storage unit filled with child pornography and a bondage kit. They also found video cameras and thumb drives.

Professional Career

Underneath his public Christian image, WCSG radio host John Balyo operated beneath the radar as a married family man, wedding photographer, Kent County Sheriff’s Department volunteer, camp counselor and overseas mission volunteer with children.

He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, feeding a morbid and sadistic fascination with children, collecting pedophilic materials, rehearsing a sexual kidnapping fantasy with a child-sized mannequin and meeting clandestinely in hotel rooms with young boys in bondage.

He kept photographs of nude children, a collection of obituaries and articles on the BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill) serial killer, news clippings about sexual exploitation of children and a bondage kit in his home. He also emailed another pedophile, Ronald Moser of Battle Creek, to arrange sexual encounters with minor victims.

Achievements and Honors

John Balyo is a well-educated man with a solid professional reputation and is known for his marketing prowess. He has also been the recipient of many awards and honors in his career. He is a five-time Emmy award winner for his work on ABC TV’s hit business reality show Shark Tank, which has reinvigorated entrepreneurship across the globe.

He is also a married father of three, an avid wedding photographer and a volunteer for the Kent County Sheriff’s Department. Despite his accomplishments, Balyo had a darker side, as demonstrated by his recent heist in the courtroom of an unwitting 12-year-old boy from Calhoun County. In short, he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, feeding his obsession with children by the bucketful. The best part? He got caught.

Personal Life

John Balyo was a married family man who served in the church for many years. He also volunteered with the Kent County Sheriff’s Department and was a camp counselor. He was active in his community and a Cleveland Browns fan.

He also worked as a radio host at WCSG, operated by Cornerstone University. After his arrest in June at a Christian music festival, Balyo was suspended from his job.

Federal prosecutors described him as “living a double life,” and said he could face up to 40 years in prison for producing and possessing child pornography. He pleaded guilty to those charges in July. He will serve a term of supervised release after he is released from prison.

Net Worth

Christian radio host john balyo’s net worth is estimated to be $4 million. His assets are expected to support his unborn child, which is due in February or March.

In a search warrant for Balyo’s home, investigators found several items of interest: a bondage kit and thumb drives with photos of nude children. Various news clippings and articles on the BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill) serial killer were also discovered.

Before Balyo was arrested in June, he asked a friend to hold onto a computer that he had stored in a box at his house, court records show. The friend turned the computer in to police when he learned of Balyo’s arrest. He said he first met Balyo in a gay online chat room two years ago, court documents state.