Ex-Youth Pastor Sentenced For Sexually Assaulting 4 Church Members
SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — A former youth pastor was sentenced Friday for sexually assaulting four members of Grace Community Church on church grounds or during church trips overseas.
Sean Patrick Aday, 39, of Lake Forest, was sentenced to two years in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration. Aday had pleaded guilty to two felony counts of sexual battery by restraint and two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery on Nov. 4.
Prosecutors say Aday was working as a youth pastor at Grace Community Church in Lake Forest at the time.
Two of the victims rebuked Aday during a pre-trial hearing, before he pleaded guilty to the charges.
"You were an authority figure and you abused that. You tried to use God to manipulate me," Jane Doe 1 said in part. "You knew I had a hard time trusting to begin with and when you finally gained my trust, you took advantage of it."
Jane Doe 2 pointed out that if Aday had truly been sorry, he would have pleaded guilty right away.
"You dragged this out for a year, putting everyone around you through hell," she said.
The mother of Jane Doe 1 said recovering from Aday's crimes has been a struggle.
"Because of what you've done, the repercussions are great. Our relationship has changed," she said. "You tore our family apart."
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