New York -- A former minister at Mariners' Temple Baptist Church in Lower Manhattan, was sentenced to 22 years in prison, followed by 20 years of post-release supervision. On April 3, 2011, Jeremy Fulton, 29, pled guilty to Rape in the First Degree relating to the rape and sexual abuse of five girls who attended his church, where Fulton also served as the associate director of the church's after-school and summer camp programs.
"This defendant used his position of authority and respect as a member of the clergy to win the trust of parents and gain access to children for the purpose of sexually abusing these girls," said District Attorney Cyrus Vance. "Children who survive sexual abuse often face a lifetime of recovery. We hope the conclusion of this case and this sentence bring a measure of justice to those victims and their families."
In all, the defendant admitted to sexually abusing five children, four of whom he had met through church-related programs. This abuse consisted of repeated sexual intercourse with three of the young victims and repeated sexual touching of all the children. The victims ranged in age from 10 to 16 years old, and with at least two of the girls the abuse lasted for a period of several years. Fulton committed some of the abuse on church property, and solicited sexually explicit photographs from one victim, which he kept on his computer.
