Former Youth Pastor to Serve 17 Years for Sex Crimes

Former Youth Pastor to Serve 17 Years for Sex Crimes

By WYDaily Staff Thursday, May 13, 2010

Former youth pastor Jack Duffer

A former York County youth minister was sentenced Thursday to serve 17 years in prison for felony sex crimes against two underage girls.

Jeremy "Jack" Duffer had led the busy youth program at Seaford Baptist Church since being hired in January 2007. He pleaded guilty in February to one count of taking indecent liberties with a child, and eight counts of aggravated sexual assault. Both charges are felonies and involved girls between the ages of 13 and 17.

York-Poquoson Circuit Court Substitute Judge William C. Andrews III sentenced the 41-year-old Duffer to five years on the indecent liberties charge, and 10 years on each of the eight aggravated sexual battery charges. The judge suspended eight years, six months on each charge, leaving Duffer with 17 years of active time to serve.

The mothers of both victims testified.

Seaford Baptist Transitional Pastor Gene Cornett said earlier that Duffer was suspended from his position Aug. 12, the day church leaders learned of the criminal investigation. Duffer was arrested Aug. 13 after one victim came forward, and jailed briefly until posting $20,000 bond. He was arrested again on Aug. 21 on charges brought by a second teen. Bond was revoked, and Duffer has remained in jail since. He was formally terminated from the church position Sept. 6.

Comments

+2 #7 Guest 2010-05-15 06:57

I'm sorry, but he deserves life in prison. To do this to a child, let alone 2 is beyond words. He was in a position of trust, not only did he violate the law, he violated the trust in church.

I do feel remorse for his family, but like death of a family member, you must move on. Their father's and husband's acts have left them abandoned.

He is the worst of humanity, a pedophile. He is a sex offender. With the job he had, and the actions he took, it is apparent he was a predator on the young.

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+4 #6 Guest 2010-05-14 19:19

Everyone hurts when something happens like this. Continue to pray for the abused girls, his wife and family, Seaford Baptist Church...and your own staff and congregations.

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+2 #5 Guest 2010-05-14 13:43

Makes you wonder at all the others out there who haven't been caught.

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+2 #4 Guest 2010-05-14 09:53

One never heals from sexual abuse, but the church has taken some of the edge off the trauma by dismissing this man in a timely manner. It validates the severity of what the girls have gone through, and their families. That other religion should take example, the one that transfers creeps because money from its members is most important.

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-1 #3 Guest 2010-05-14 09:31

I'm no mathlete, but 5y indecent liberties + 80y sexual battery = 85 years.
Dropped 8y, 6m on the 8 battery charges = 68 years.
85y sentence - 68y dropped = 17y; plus 5 y indecent liberties = 22 y sentence, does it not? Maybe you should go back and tell the judge.

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-3 #2 Guest 2010-05-14 08:22

Perhaps now this church can put this behind them and heal. God bless his wife and four children and all they've been through in embarrassment and financial strain and broken hearts. Sad. We should all send her money at Seaford Baptist to help her get back on her feet.

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+5 #1 Guest 2010-05-14 06:57

Well, I give the Baptists credit for immediately taking action to remove this man from contact with children upon discovery of his indiscretions, rather than cover it up and transfer him to another church.

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