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More arrests after teen confesses to stealing Baby Jesus from missing nativity scene

Posted at 3:18 PM, Dec 12, 2012
and last updated 2012-12-12 15:21:16-05

FOREST, Va. (WSET) - A Bedford County teenager's confession that he stole the Baby Jesus from a nativity scene outside of Shiloh United Methodist Church in Forest, Virginia, has led to more arrests. 

Deputies have now arrested three men and two teens in connection with the pilfered nativity scene caper, according to WSET.

John Killgo, 19, Scott Cooley, 19, and Matthew Barringer, 19, were charged with grand larceny, felony property damage, trespassing on church property after dark and two counts of contributing to a minor.

The two juveniles are charged with grand larceny, felony property damage and trespassing on church property after dark. Both are in Lynchburg Detention Home.

The twist to this story is that Kilgo called WSET's newsroom on Tuesday wanting to come clean about the theft. In fact, he said he and his four friends planned on returning the nativity scene after taking a Facebook picture.

"It was my buddy's birthday party and we got bored," John Killgo told WSET Tuesday.

However, after seeing TV coverage of the prank, one of his friends panicked and drove the missing religious icons to a local dump.

Killgo said he doesn't know which dump his friend went to -- and did not provide his friend's name.

Deputies said the stolen nativity set is worth more than $2,000.

Click here to read the latest developments on this story from WSET.