A West Virginia pastor has been convicted of sexually motivated battery after a parishioner accused him of reaching up her skirt during a pastoral counseling session.
Jason Allen of Victory Apostolic Church in Sutton could face up to a year in prison and a decade on a sex offenders registry.
Editor’s note: This article refers to a report of sexual battery, which some readers might find disturbing.
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Allen, 53, has been pastor of Victory Apostolic Church for more than three decades, according to a Facebook post.
Allen was charged after a 24-year-old female parishioner alleged that he inappropriately touched her leg and calf during a session in which he was providing counseling to her regarding spiritual issues related to her marriage.
During the trial, Allen reportedly accused the victim of being a chronic liar who made up the entire story.
However, a video recording of a previous interview with law enforcement revealed that Allen admitted to touching the woman’s leg.
During that interview, Allen claimed that he had only touched the woman’s leg to feel a “scar” on her calf, but he admitted that might have gone further up her leg.
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Allen said that the woman gave him permission to touch her, but the victim says otherwise.
