It is rare for me to say that a youth pastor did the right thing after being accused of molesting a child. I will in this case. Russell Lewis did the right thing. He acted like a Christian should act. He accepted responsibility for his crimes and is willing to accept the court’s punishment. It is a rare thing.
Former youth pastor Russell Lewis pleaded no contest to charges that he molested a teenage girl from his youth group. By pleading no contest and throwing himself on the mercy of the court, he could get 105 years in prison for his crimes.
Defense lawyer Shlomi Presser said he will argue for the judge to take mitigating factors into account and imprison Lewis for less than the minimum time outlined by law.
"He is a first-time offender, this is an isolated incident, and clearly there was remorse," Presser said. He said Lewis had mental health issues that should be taken into consideration.
Let’s hope the Lewis does not receive the full weight of the law but instead is sentenced fairly and justly.
