Pastors Sentenced For Molesting Two Young Church Members
By: Janice Park
Updated: October 7, 2009
Two pastors will spend the next 5 years in prison for sex crimes.
They molested two young members of the Macedonia Baptist Church in Rayville.
The two pastors who are stepbrothers were found guilty of the sex crimes in August.
Now they're on the way to prison for molesting young boys.
But the congregation is standing by the them.
"Very outgoing positive sounded like he knew what he was doing he persuaded you into thinking anything he said,"says Macedonia Baptist Church Member Charles Naylor. A jury found that pastors Jason Cooper and Victor Mitchell used that same persuasion to molest two young boys at the Macedonia Baptist Church. The young boys say the two pastors, who are stepbrothers, would also have sex with each other.
But despite everything, most members of the congregation like Naylor, are standing by their pastor: "Yea he was found guilty but from what people tell me he shouldn't have been found guilty". NBC 10: "You're not afraid for other children because he's been convicted of a sex crime? Naylor: "I'm not because I feel like if he gets a second chance it won't happen again". Naylor says listening to Pastor Cooper's sermons has made him a better person.
But the family of the victims say they are disgusted with the two men who claim to be holy. Wednesday, Johnny Baker stopped by the Macedonia Baptist Church. After four years of being away from church, he was looking to find god again. But it won't be at Macedonia Baptist: "I was thinking about residing here, I've changed my mind totally changed my mind," says Baker.
"Very outgoing positive sounded like he knew what he was doing he persuaded you into thinking anything he said,"says Macedonia Baptist Church Member Charles Naylor. A jury found that pastors Jason Cooper and Victor Mitchell used that same persuasion to molest two young boys at the Macedonia Baptist Church. The young boys say the two pastors, who are stepbrothers, would also have sex with each other.
But despite everything, most members of the congregation like Naylor, are standing by their pastor: "Yea he was found guilty but from what people tell me he shouldn't have been found guilty". NBC 10: "You're not afraid for other children because he's been convicted of a sex crime? Naylor: "I'm not because I feel like if he gets a second chance it won't happen again". Naylor says listening to Pastor Cooper's sermons has made him a better person.
But the family of the victims say they are disgusted with the two men who claim to be holy. Wednesday, Johnny Baker stopped by the Macedonia Baptist Church. After four years of being away from church, he was looking to find god again. But it won't be at Macedonia Baptist: "I was thinking about residing here, I've changed my mind totally changed my mind," says Baker.
