Louisiana Pastor John Raymond, convicted last fall of three felony charges of cruelty to juveniles, was sentenced on Thursday (March 13) to five years in prison—three of which are suspended. During a lengthy sentencing hearing, state District Judge John A. Keller indicated that Raymond’s apparent lack of remorse at proceedings last month swayed him to hand down prison time.
As ChurchLeaders reported, Raymond was found guilty in September 2024 of child cruelty for taping shut the mouths of three disruptive seventh-grade students. The 2022 incident occurred while the pastor was headmaster at Lakeside Christian Academy, which he founded through New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana.
Raymond, who said the students chose the tape over being suspended, denied harming the students and indicated that “building character in teenage boys can be difficult.”
In addition, Raymond was found guilty of one count of second-degree child cruelty, for placing his hand over the mouth of a 4-year-old student. The preschooler, who was having a tantrum at the time, reportedly “went limp” and couldn’t breathe.
Judge: Pastor John Raymond ‘Did Not Appear Remorseful’
Raymond has insisted he is innocent and the victim of cancel culture. “I’ve never been cruel to a child, and I love children,” he said in an April 2022 statement. The pastor, a former contestant on the reality TV show “Survivor,” has been active in Republican politics in Louisiana. He also owns a local Christian radio station.
At his six-day trial last September, Raymond did not take the stand in his own defense. In February, after retaining a new lawyer, Raymond did testify at a hearing to request a new trial. That strategy backfired, based on comments this week by Judge Keller.
While handing down the sentence, Keller indicated he had been leaning toward no prison time because Raymond was a first-time offender, hadn’t inflicted physical injuries, and displayed negligence but not intent. Listening to the pastor speak, however, changed the judge’s mind.
“Mr. Raymond did not appear remorseful,” Keller said on Thursday. “He came across as somewhat arrogant. He still believed he did nothing wrong.” The judge also said the pastor had attacked some witnesses, including a teacher, whom the judge had found to be credible. “So I started to rethink where on the spectrum and the scale the defendant’s sentence should be placed,” Keller said.
The judge also cited the “seriousness of the offense” and the involvement of children, saying the court needed to convey that this “type of criminal behavior [is] not to be tolerated.”
Pastor John Raymond Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison
Raymond, who faced up to 70 years behind bars, was remanded into custody after Thursday’s sentencing. He will have the option to post bail while he appeals the sentence.
Of the five years Raymond received, three are suspended, and he will be on probation for that period. While on probation, the pastor cannot work with children or work at any school, according to Judge Keller.
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