January 28, 2005

Former Youth Pastor Takes Plea Deal In Sex Assault Case

BRISTOL (CT)
The Day

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published on 1/28/2005

Bristol (AP) — A former youth pastor and basketball coach at Central Christian Academy in Southington has pleaded no contest to charges of sexually assaulting a teenage student.

James J. McCoy, 31, could get up to two years in prison and three years of probation when he is sentenced in March in Superior Court.

McCoy was originally charged July 1, 2003, with second-degree sexual assault. But that charge was downgraded to two counts of fourth-degree sexual assault before McCoy entered his plea on Monday.

The victim, in a civil lawsuit, has accused McCoy of repeatedly sexually abusing and assaulting her over a period of six months in the late 1990s. She was 17 at the time, according to the civil suit.

Posted by kshaw at January 28, 2005 09:17 AM