A suburban New Orleans pastor was sentenced to 80 years in prison after being convicted of sexually abusing two teenage boys, his third offense involving minors.
Terry Reed was sentenced on Thursday in Jefferson Parish after a jury convicted him in May of two counts of third-degree rape and two counts of adolescent molestation. The Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office stated that Reed abused the boys after earning their guardians’ trust and taking them into his Terrytown house.
Prosecutors claim Reed exploited his position as a pastor and religious text to deceive the victims and normalize the abuse. During sentencing, the mother of one survivor stated that she trusted Reed since she had known him since childhood and had turned to him for assistance with her son.
Reed had previously pled guilty to indecent behavior with a minor in 1997, as well as molestation of a juvenile in 2017.
Judge Ray Steib issued the punishment after rejecting defense pleas to overturn the decision or order a new trial.
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