By First Coast News
Gary Detman
May 21, 2009
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=138415&catid=3
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| Darrell Gilyard |
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- The former pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church is now looking at three years in prison.
Darrell Gilyard appeared in court Thursday morning where he pleaded guilty to molesting a 15-year-old girl at his church.
He also admitted to sending explicit text messages to another teen.
Prosecutors say Gilyard will be sentenced in June to three years in prison. The prison time will be followed by three years probation and Gilyard must register as a sex offender.
Gilyard stepped down as pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in December of 2007 as allegations against him surfaced.
In January of 2008, police arrested Gilyard on lewd and lascivious charges. A mother told police her 14-year-old daughter received an explicit text message from Gilyard that appeared sexual in nature.
In a separate incident, court documents revealed a 15-year-old girl told police Gilyard kissed her on two occasions while in a darkroom. Gilyard had been counseling the girl.
The records also showed Gilyard left four churches in Texas during the eighties and nineties after women complained of sexual abuse.
Gilyard is also facing a paternity lawsuit filed by a woman who claims the former pastor is the father of her 3-year-old daughter. The woman claimed in her lawsuit Shiloh knew or should've known about Gilyard's past.
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