Ex-youth Pastor Sentenced to Prison for Sex with Teenage Parishioner
By Lee Morrison
NEW PHILADELPHIA As the judge commented that the depth of trust is equivalent to the depth of betrayal, a former youth pastor was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for a sexual relationship with a teenage girl attending his church. Jan-Mikkel Jasper, 36, who is known as Mikkel Jasper, was charged with one count of sexual battery. The third-degree felony charge states that Jasper was a cleric, and the other person was a minor attending the church he served. He no longer is a pastor, nor associated with Alpine Bible Church near Sugarcreek. Jasper, now of Mineral City and formerly of Dover, pleaded guilty in September to a bill of information, a process in lieu of an indictment through a county grand jury. On Wednesday, he was sentenced by Judge Elizabeth Leigh Thomakos in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court. Under terms of the plea agreement negotiated by county Prosecutor Ryan Styer and defense attorney David Hipp of New Philadelphia, Jasper pleaded guilty. Styer recommended that Jasper be sentenced to the maximum five years in prison. The prosecutor also said he wouldn’t object to judicial release from prison after serving two years, as long as Jasper would then complete the up to six months sex offender program at Eastern Ohio Correctional Center in Wintersville. Thomakos made no promises to Jasper, but said she would consider a request by the defense for early release at the appropriate time. If granted, Jasper then would be on probation for up to five years. If he serves the full 60-month term, he then would be on parole for five years after that. Jasper also was classified as a Tier 3 sexual offender and must report his residential address every 90 days for the rest of his life to the sheriff of the county he resides in. He was taken to jail after the hearing for transportation to prison. “We’re certainly pleased that the judge followed our recommendation and imposed the maximum sentence,” Styer said. “While it seems clear that Mr. Jasper is sincere in his remorse, I still question whether he fully understands the extent of his wrongdoing. We send our kids to church, thinking that they will be especially safe while they are being taught the ways of God. When that trust is violated, it calls for an especially serious punishment and a message that these actions will not be tolerated.” Thomakos also indicated she put a lot of thought into the sentencing. She said the law has harsh punishments for crimes involving children as the victims; where there’s sexual abuse; or a person uses a position of trust to perpetrate a crime. She said that this incident fit all three criteria. NEW PHILADELPHIA As the judge commented that the depth of trust is equivalent to the depth of betrayal, a former youth pastor was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for a sexual relationship with a teenage girl attending his church. Jan-Mikkel Jasper, 36, who is known as Mikkel Jasper, was charged with one count of sexual battery. The third-degree felony charge states that Jasper was a cleric, and the other person was a minor attending the church he served. He no longer is a pastor, nor associated with Alpine Bible Church near Sugarcreek. Jasper, now of Mineral City and formerly of Dover, pleaded guilty in September to a bill of information, a process in lieu of an indictment through a county grand jury. On Wednesday, he was sentenced by Judge Elizabeth Leigh Thomakos in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court. Under terms of the plea agreement negotiated by county Prosecutor Ryan Styer and defense attorney David Hipp of New Philadelphia, Jasper pleaded guilty. Styer recommended that Jasper be sentenced to the maximum five years in prison. The prosecutor also said he wouldn’t object to judicial release from prison after serving two years, as long as Jasper would then complete the up to six months sex offender program at Eastern Ohio Correctional Center in Wintersville. Thomakos made no promises to Jasper, but said she would consider a request by the defense for early release at the appropriate time. If granted, Jasper then would be on probation for up to five years. If he serves the full 60-month term, he then would be on parole for five years after that. Jasper also was classified as a Tier 3 sexual offender and must report his residential address every 90 days for the rest of his life to the sheriff of the county he resides in. He was taken to jail after the hearing for transportation to prison. “We’re certainly pleased that the judge followed our recommendation and imposed the maximum sentence,” Styer said. “While it seems clear that Mr. Jasper is sincere in his remorse, I still question whether he fully understands the extent of his wrongdoing. We send our kids to church, thinking that they will be especially safe while they are being taught the ways of God. When that trust is violated, it calls for an especially serious punishment and a message that these actions will not be tolerated.” Thomakos also indicated she put a lot of thought into the sentencing. She said the law has harsh punishments for crimes involving children as the victims; where there’s sexual abuse; or a person uses a position of trust to perpetrate a crime. She said that this incident fit all three criteria.
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