A suburban New Orleans pastor, Terry Reed, has been sentenced to 80 years in prison for sexually abusing two teenage boys. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Judge Ray Steib of the 24th Judicial District Court imposed the maximum sentence during a hearing on June 5. Jurors found Reed guilty on May 6 of two counts of third-degree rape and two counts of molestation of a juvenile.
The mother of one of the victims read a victim-impact statement in court, calling Reed "an utter failure and a sorry excuse for a man." She said she had known Reed since childhood and trusted him. "I gave Terry the opportunity to be the grandfather figure that he long wanted to be," she said. Reed's abuse "triggered the deepest wound of my childhood. I felt profoundly betrayed," she added.
Prosecutors established that Reed gained the trust of his victims, took them into his home, and used biblical scripture to convince them that the sexual abuse was normal. Reed had two prior convictions for similar crimes: in 1997 for indecent behavior with a juvenile, and in 2017 for indecent behavior and molestation of a juvenile.
Another dark chapter in Reed's past, not mentioned in court, involved the deaths of two boys aged 12 and 13 in a hot tub at his home in 2002. Investigators determined the children were electrocuted but could not classify the deaths as homicide, suicide, accidental, or natural.
The New Orleans area has long grappled with sexually abusive religious leaders. At least five Catholic priests have been convicted. In February 2024, another pastor, Milton Otto Martin III, was sentenced to seven years for molesting a teenage girl.
In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline at 800-422-4453 or visit their website for resources and to report child abuse.