By Julie O'Connor
The Star-Ledger
January 7, 2009
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/01/plainfield_pastor_declines_ple.html
Plainfield pastor George Benbow rejected a plea deal this morning that would have resulted in a three-year jail sentence with the possibility of parole after only nine months.
Benbow, accused in September of inappropriately touching six girls over an eight-year period, insists that he is innocent. His case will now go before a grand jury.
Benbow, 56, in a brown suit and glasses, politely told Superior Court Judge John Triarsi he understood the offer on the table. Benbow is facing four counts of sexual assault and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
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| Plainfield pastor George Benbow, right, talks with his attorney Philip Nettl before a court appearance in October in Union County. Photo by John O'Boyle |
His lawyer, Philip Nettl, said his client is prepared to fight those charges at trial.
"His position is he's not guilty of any crime," Nettl said of Benbow, who declined comment through his lawyer.
The pastor of Christian Fellowship Gospel Church, married with two grown sons, allegedly gained access to the girls in his George Street house and on church grounds next door, between April 2000 and July 2008.
The girls were between 8 and 13 years old when they were assaulted, according to the criminal complaints signed against Benbow. Authorities have said the contact involved "body on body, with clothes on."
Benbow could face as much as 28 years in prison if he is found guilty of the charges. He posted $150,000 bond after his arrest in September.
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