By Mike Tobin
Plain Dealer [Ohio]
April 5, 2007
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2007/04/former_pastor_gets_prison_in_p.html
A former pastor will was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison Thursday after admitting he had nearly 4,000 images child pornography, including small children engaged in sadomasochistic sex.
Jerry Paull, 64, pleaded for mercy from U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent, but Nugent told Paull to instead focus on the lifetime of pain he's caused the children in the images.
"These people have life sentences and they're innocent," Nugent said. "You're guilty. You should be disgusted."
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| Jerry Paull |
Paull was arrested in 2004 after investigators seized two computers from his home in Amherst. Paull downloaded several videos and computer images showing prepubescent minors involved in pornography, including children engaged in sadistic behavior, according to his plea agreement.
"There were images of small boys tied up, pretty horrific stuff," Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan said.
Paull worked as minister for 36 years, most recently as pastor at Christ United Methodist church in Akron, Sullivan said. Paull was retired before his arrest, but the images go back to 1997, when he worked at the church.
Prosecutors believe all of the images were from Web sites and no children who worshipped at his church were portrayed in the videos, Sullivan said.
Contact: mtobin@plaind.com
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