Pastors Lose Child Molestation Appeal

Louisiana: The Second Circuit Court of Appeal has affirmed the conviction of two Richland Parish ministers accused of molesting young males in their congregation.

Jason Cooper and Victor Mitchell were each convicted in August 2009 of indecent behavior with a juvenile and oral sexual battery.

In 2007, Jason Cooper, 25, was the pastor at Macedonia Baptist Church in Rayville and Victor Mitchell, his 23-year-old stepbrother, was the pastor at Old Mount Olive Baptist Church in Oak Ridge. The summer of that year, a 14-year-old member of Macedonia Baptist Church said he was visiting Cooper's home when someone turned off the lights, Mitchell kissed the back of his neck and told him to perform oral sex on him.
 
In December 2007, a 16-year-old went to a church service in Bastrop with Cooper and Mitchell. On the way back to Rayville the teen said the two men stopped the car in the parking lot of Mount Olive Baptist Church and performed oral sex on each other before doing the same to the juvenile.

Read More: Jason Cooper and Victor Mitchell

With the conviction affirmed, the defendants will serve their sentence of five years hard labor, on each charge, to be served concurrently pending any more appeals.