February 16, 2005

Crosspoint youth pastor charged with sexual abuse

ANCHORAGE (AK)
KTUU

Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - by Angela Unruh

Anchorage, Alaska - A youth pastor has been arrested and charged with sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl.

Jesse Connella, 28, who spent the last year as a youth pastor at Crosspoint Community Church, was arrested Monday. He appeared in court Tuesday, arraigned on two counts of sexually abusing a minor.

That minor, a 16-year-old girl, was part of the church's youth group.

Charging documents say that, on Feb. 1, Connella told the girl he was interested in her. Then on Feb. 3, he picked her up after school in the church van. He was supposed to take her to bowling practice, but the documents say he took her to Kincaid Park where they had sex.

Then, on Feb. 10, he picked her up from school in his personal van, drove to a church parking lot and had sex with her again.

Posted by kshaw at February 16, 2005 04:23 AM