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	Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Abuse The Former Church Youth Leader Had Pleaded Guilty to Molesting a Teenager By Mike Allen Roanoke Times [Virginia] June 2, 2007 http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/wb/xp-119143 A former Bedford County church youth leader was sentenced to serve more than 15 years in prison Friday for molesting a 13-year-old boy in August 2005. Joseph Steven Shrewsbury, 30, pleaded guilty in November to 12 counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor, two counts of aggravated sexual battery and one count of carnal knowledge The boy attended Shady Grove Baptist Church in Thaxton, where Shrewsbury was a part-time employee. According to evidence, the boy confided in Shrewsbury in spring 2005 that he was disturbed by sexual thoughts, which he believed came from demons. Shrewsbury told the boy he was in fact possessed by a demon and could only be cured by acting out the sexual thoughts with Shrewsbury, according to evidence. Shrewsbury lured the boy into four sexual encounters, two of them in the church, under the pretext of ridding him of the demon, Assistant Bedford County Commonwealth's Attorney Wes Nance said. Issues arose after Shrewsbury's plea as to how clearly and accurately the boy remembered what happened to him, Nance said. Nance maintains the boy's memory troubles resulted from the trauma of the molestation. But the development raised the possibility that Shrewsbury might try to withdraw his plea, so that the case could go to trial and the boy could be cross-examined, Nance said. Instead, the two sides agreed prior to the sentencing that Shrewsbury would serve 15 12 years of a 20-year sentence, Nance said. No evidence was presented at the hearing. Shrewsbury's attorney, Assistant Bedford County Public Defender Michael Lonchar, could not be reached for comment Friday.
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