Former Pastor Pleads Guilty to Sex With Minor

Jack Schaap said he didn't know he was breaking the law

A former Hammond, Ind., pastor pleaded guilty Wednesday to an inappropriate relationship with a minor from his church.

Jack Schaap, 54, admitted to three sexual encounters with a girl when she was 16 and told the court he wasn't aware he was breaking the law.

Schaap, the former pastor of First Baptist Church in Hammond, pleaded guilty to the charge of transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in sex. He could face 10 or more years in prison and must be registered as a sex offender, according to the Associated Press.

The church's board of deacons said Schaap admitted to the relationship at the end of July and was dismissed. "It was starting to be a difficult decision," said Board of Deacons Chairman Jerry Duff at the time, "but when we found out the facts, we had no choice. We had to do what was right."

Schaap's sentencing was set for Jan. 15.

 

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