Ocean Park’s Church pleads guilty to sex crimes
By GEORGE KUNKE
Jonathan R. Church, 40, of Ocean Park, pled guilty to three counts of rape of a child in the third degree, one count of rape in the second degree and incest in the first degree in Pacific County Superior Court Jan. 11.
The three counts of rape of a child in the third degree were with the same person. There was another victim involved in the incest case.
Church was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 16 years once the Intermittent Sentence Review Board looks at his case.
At the sentencing, Church told the court, “I have nothing positive to say about myself.”
“I’m satisfied with the plea bargain,” Chief Deputy Prosecutor Mark McClain told the Herald. “It gives the victims closures and ensures he’ll spend most of his life in prison. It doesn’t further victimize the victims by making them testify in court make. “He will be required to get treatment and if he gets any other strike offense, it’s two strikes you’re out.”
Church can be released after 16 years if he passes their review, which determines whether or not he is deemed fit to enter society and not a danger to the public. If released, Church would still not be able to have contact with minors and will have to register as a sex offender. While in prison, Church will undergo and complete rigorous treatment and counseling for his crimes, including Sex Offender Treatment.
Church was arrested last October by Pacific County Sheriff’s deputies for suspicion of 11 counts of rape of a child in the third of degree. Sexual intercourse puts a crime in the first degree. At that time, deputies believed that Church had sexual intercourse and other sexual contact with a 14-year-old female several times. Deputies also learned that Church might have been providing marijuana and alcohol to the victim prior to the acts.
At Church’s residence, deputies located pornographic videos, sex toys and also seized a computer that may have contained evidence of the allegations.