Jack Schaap Pleads Guilty in Teen Sex Case, Denies Knowing Act Was Crime
Jack Schaap Pleads Guilty in Teen Sex Case, Denies Knowing Act Was Crime
The former pastor of the 15,000-member church, which he served for 11 years, stood accused of having sexual relations with the girl, a parish member who is now 17, and taking her across state lines to Illinois and western Michigan for the sexual encounters. Schaap and the girl started the affair when she was 16.
U.S. District Judge Rudy Lozano scheduled the sentencing for Jan. 15, although Schaap, 54, has already signed a plea agreement stating that he faces at least 10 years in prison for taking a person under 18 across state lines for sex, although the maximum sentence for such a crime could be life imprisonment.
The former pastor, described by the Southtown Star as wearing an orange prison garb while standing before the court, admitted to taking three trips with the teen across state lines for sexual activity, and said someone else actually drove the girl to the destinations.