In Indiana, a former youth pastor was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing boys at the church he worked for.
On Wednesday, an Elkhart County judge sentenced 46-year-old Scott Christner to serve 20 years in prison for molesting boys when he was a youth group leader at First Baptist Church in Goshen, Indiana. NBC News reports that the judge gave him three nine-year sentences for the felonies he committed.
Christner’s sentencing comes after being arrested in November of last year. Christner began molesting boys between the ages of 11 and 13 starting in May 2012; he reportedly stopped in July 2019 prior to his arrest months later. According to NBC News, one of Christine’s victims spoke out about being assaulted, and it was documented in an affidavit. Other victims and their parents followed after in coming forward with their own experiences of sexual assault.
WNDU reports some parents noted that they’d left their son with Christner, mentioning that he was “a trusted member of the church and was considered family.” One of the victims’ parents said that he’d often bring his children around Christner for “birthdays,” “sporting events” and “church functions.” The father added that Christner molested his son “at a party” where “other people were around.”
Christner claims he’s been counseling since 2019, adding that he hopes to receive a lighter probationary period so that he can take care of his older family members.
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