Former Pa. Jehovah's Witness pleads guilty to sexually assaulting 2 children

The first of 14 men accused of sexually assaulting children while they were members of Jehovah's Witnesses congregations in Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to two counts of rape on Tuesday.

Jesse Hill, formerly of Berks County, Pennsylvania, and currently a Georgia resident, sexually assaulted and exploited two children he met through the Jehovah's Witnesses community in the 1990s.

Sentencing for the 52-year-old man was deferred so that he can undergo an evaluation by the Sexual Offenders Assessment Board which will help determine whether or not he meets the criteria for a sexually violent predator.

“Through this guilty plea, the defendant admitted that he used his good standing within his religious community to access potential victims, gain their trust, and then sexually assault them,” Attorney General Michelle Henry said. “These crimes are abhorrent, and we are wholeheartedly committed to holding those accountable who hurt children. To any victims who have not yet disclosed their stories to law enforcement, I want you to know that if you speak up, our office will listen.”

Investigators determined Hill used his milling business to attract young boys from his Jehovah's Witnesses congregation to his home for parties. He then promised the boys alcohol, marijuana and pornography and relied on his family's trusted name within the religious community to gain the boys' trust. He then exposed himself to the children, groped them and forced them to perform sex acts.

Hill's arrest was part of an ongoing probe from a Pennsylvania Grand Jury investigating child sexual abuse in the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Hill is one of 14 men accused of sexually assaulting children while they were members of Jehovah's Witnesses congregations across Pennsylvania.

Henry said that while the misconduct dates back years or even decades, “the trauma endures for these victims.”

Henry did not address the church’s handling of complaints, but said the investigation would continue.

The Office of Attorney General also set up a hotline at 888-538-8541 for any victims of sexual abuse from members of Jehovah's Witnesses congregations in Pennsylvania to provide information to investigators.

Response from current and former Jehovah's Witnesses

The Jehovah’s Witnesses United States Branch, Wallkill, NY released the following statement on the investigation:

“We are not permitted by law to comment on specific matters arising out of the grand jury investigation. That having been said, the news of someone being sexually abused, whether a child or an adult, sickens us. Child sexual abuse in particular is a twisted act of evil. That is why for decades Jehovah’s Witnesses have gone to great lengths to educate and warn parents through our publications, meetings, and website, about how to protect their children in a variety of circumstances. We also are quick to support and offer pastoral care to those affected, while working to ensure that unrepentant perpetrators are removed from the congregation. Anyone who has been victimized has the full support of the congregation to report the matter to the authorities."

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Critics say that Jehovah's Witnesses elders have treated child sexual abuse as a sin rather than a crime, documenting complaints in internal files but not reporting them to authorities. And they say the church often required a second witness to substantiate a complaint, a standard that can be impossible to meet when perpetrators often isolate their victims.

Mark Haugh of York Haven, Pa., a former elder who left the church in 2016 and now advocates for survivors of abuse in the church, applauded investigators.

“I hope elders are arrested who knew about child abuse and covered it up and then it happened again,” said Haugh, who testified to the grand jury about the church’s structure and about his own daughter’s abuse within a Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation.

He also hopes organizational leaders are called to account, “because it’s not just a Pennsylvania problem, it’s a national problem.”

Church spokesman Jarrod Lopes has challenged the criticisms, saying that elders comply with reporting requirements and that members are also free to report sexual assault to authorities. He has also said the second-witness rule applies only to internal church discipline.

The grand jury probe of Jehovah’s Witnesses began with a referral from a county prosecutor who felt the state should take a broader look at the issue. Dozens of witnesses then testified before the secret grand jury in Harrisburg or provided information to the attorney general’s office.

In the charges announced earlier this year, Henry said that the men had groomed or gained access to the children through the church, sometimes when the child’s family took the person into their home. One person said that she was raped 50 or more times between the ages of 7 and 12 by a church member who was 18 when the assaults began. Others involved less serious charges of inappropriate touching.

Five of the men charged were David Balosa, 62, of Philadelphia; Errol William Hall, 50, of Delaware County; Shaun Sheffer, 45, of Butler County; Terry Booth, 57, of Panama City, FL; and Luis Ayala-Velasquez, 55, of Berks County. Four were taken in custody, while Balosa was being sought. It was not immediately clear if any of them had lawyers representing them.

One of the nine earlier defendants killed himself before he was arrested, Henry said.

Attorney Matt Haverstick, who has represented Pennsylvania congregations in the state’s investigation, did not immediately return a call for comment.

In a case with some parallels, a state grand jury investigation into child sexual abuse by Catholic priests culminated in a lengthy 2018 report that concluded hundreds of priests had abused children in Pennsylvania over seven decades and church officials had covered it up. More recently, a similar report was issued in Maryland.

The Jehovah's Witnesses, an international Christian denomination founded in the Pittsburgh area more than a century ago and headquartered in New York state, claims 8.7 million members worldwide, including 1.2 million in the United States.

Members will not bear arms, salute a national flag or participate in secular politics. Believers are known for their evangelistic efforts, including knocking on doors and distributing literature in public spaces.

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Religion writer Peter Smith in Pittsburgh and videojournalist Tassanee Vejpongsa in Philadelphia contributed to this report.