Paul Dyal, a former pastor in Jacksonville, Florida, pleaded guilty this week to contributing to the delinquency or dependency of a child. On May 8, Dyal accepted a deal with that amended charge—a third-degree felony—after the state dropped two counts of first-degree capital sexual battery against him.
Dyal, 81, founded The Jacksonville Assembly of the Body of Christ in the 1970s. After receiving a tip in 2020, investigators found “long-term sexual and physical abuse of minors in the church” spanning more than 30 years.
As ChurchLeaders reported, police interrupted a worship service at the church in 2022 to bring Dyal and his two sons in for questioning. Dyal denied allegations of sexual abuse, and one son told police the allegations came from people who “always stir up trouble.”
Dyal’s sons weren’t charged, but two other church members were arrested on the same charge as Dyal. Vernon Williamson, now 88, was found guilty in 2024 of two counts of capital sexual battery and was sentenced to life in prison. Jerome Teschendorf, now 71, pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for a pretrial hearing later this month.
With Plea Deal, Former Florida Pastor Paul Dyal Avoids More Prison Time
First-degree capital sexual battery, the original charge against Dyal, carries a penalty of life imprisonment without parole or death by lethal injection or electrocution. With the plea deal, a Duval County judge sentenced Dyal to five years of probation, plus one year in prison, which he has already served. Dyal has asked to serve his probation in Georgia.
Prosecutors said the victim in this case asked them to resolve it without her involvement, due to “extreme stress and emotional difficulty as the trauma she experienced in her youth resurfaced.” When the alleged abuse occurred, between 1980 and 1987, the victim was a member of Dyal’s church and younger than 12.
According to the State Attorney’s Office, “The [plea] agreement will both relieve the victim of any further negative impacts from the pendency of this case and serve to protect the community given Dyal’s advanced age and incapacity.”
Court records indicate the victim originally reported the abuse decades ago, but authorities didn’t follow up. After more allegations surfaced, investigators asked the woman to assist with prosecuting Dyal.
Although the survivor didn’t appear in court this week, a friend read aloud her impact statement. In it, the survivor mentioned the hurt, confusion, and scars from being abused as a girl.
