Plainfield Pastor Sentenced to 11 Years for String of Child Sex Assaults
MyCentralJersey
Plainfield is a deeply religious city, with some estimates listing more than 100 churches managing to find a home in an area not much larger than six square miles. And leaders of those churches aren’t just men and women of God: they’re counselors, confidants, friends and family — all rolled into one. It’s why what George Benbow did hurt so many, so badly. The former city pastor, founder of Christian Fellowship Gospel Church, was sentenced to 11 years in state prison Friday for sexually assaulting or otherwise touching at least five young girls during a span of nearly a decade. “As I give thought to how the actions of George Benbow Sr. (have) affected my family and myself, it would be untruthful to say that this man was not influential in my life, or that he did nothing for me. He did a lot for me and my family,” Kristina Tucker, the mother of one victim, wrote in an impact statement to presiding Superior Court Judge Stuart Peim. “This is one of the major reasons why it was so devastating to hear what he had done to my daughter. His actions affected not only my family, but were destructive to a church and a community.” Tucker also wrote of what she labeled “blatant denial” exhibited by Benbow in the months and years leading up to Friday’s sentencing. Not only did Benbow initially plead not guilty in the case, but he turned down an offer for a three-year prison sentence — with just nine months before the possibility of parole — in exchange for a guilty plea. An investigation into Benbow’s actions was launched in July 2008 after several Plainfield residents contacted police with their concerns, authorities have said. The investigation revealed that the abuse took place from 2000 through 2008 at multiple locations on church grounds and at Benbow’s home next door, with his actions constituting “inappropriate touching” of clothed victims. Benbow remained free on $150,000 bail for about four years prior to being found guilty. Following days of jury deliberation, Benbow in June was found guilty of two of five charges of second-degree sexual assault and four of five charges of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Authorities at the time said the victims in the case today range in age between 12 and 22, and all were between the ages of 9 and 13 when the abuse took place. Benbow previously had filed a motion for a new trial, but Peim denied it, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor John Esmerado, who handled the case. “At the beginning of the investigation, we had 12 potential victims, and we very much appreciated the five who cooperated,” Esmerado explained Friday, describing what he called a “profound sense of betrayal” among the victims, their families, and Benbow’s congregation. Benbow remained in Union County Jail Friday and should be transferred to state prison in a matter of days, Esmerado said. The state had requested a 13-year prison sentence, and Benbow could have faced a maximum of 30 years in prison. Staff Writer Mark Spivey: 908-243-6607; mspivey@njpressmedia.com
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