World News
South Carolina church allowed registered sex offender to participate in ministry
Jerry Sidell was permitted to engage in ministry for decades at Brookwood Church, The Guardian reports.
The short version
- Jerry Sidell, who was sentenced to prison in the 1980s for child molestation, was permitted to participate in ministry at Brookwood Church in South Carolina for decades.[The Guardian]
- Pastor Bryan Jones said Sidell was forthright with leaders in 1999 regarding his Georgia convictions.[The Guardian]
- Jones indicated that he only recently learned of Sidell's registered sex offender status.[The Guardian]
Key facts
- Jerry Sidell was sentenced to prison in the 1980s after admitting to molesting boys met through Christian youth ministry in Georgia.[The Guardian]
- Sidell pleaded guilty in 1983 to five child molestation charges and one count of enticing a minor, receiving six concurrent 10-year sentences.[The Guardian]
- Sidell was allowed to participate in ministry for decades at Brookwood Church in Simpsonville, South Carolina.[The Guardian]
- Senior pastor Bryan Jones stated that Sidell had been forthright with church leadership about his convictions back in 1999.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- It remains unclear precisely when current church leadership first discovered Sidell's presence and sex offender status.[The Guardian]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.