Junction City Minister to Take Plea Deal in Child Molestation Scandal

By Lindsey Rogers
The Wibw
June 25, 2013

http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/Junction-City-Minister-To-Take-Plea-Deal-In-Child-Molestation-Scandal-212961911.html


GEARY COUNTY, Kan. (WIBW) -- A minister accused of sexually abusing young boys in his church's congregation is expected to enter into a plea agreement with the state, opting not to let his cases be heard by a jury.

Jordan Young, 25, appeared in Geary County District Court Tuesday for a status hearing.

Young is facing child molestation charges in six cases involving separate underage victims.

He has been behind bars since August when the Junction City Police Department launched an investigation into reports of sexual misconduct at Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church where he’d been serving as the music minister. He is the son of former Faith Tabernacle pastor Edwin Young.

Assistant Geary County Attorney Michelle Brown says Young sexually abused underage males at Faith Tabernacle (located on Burke Drive in Junction City) and at the church’s school called the Apostolic Academy (located several miles away from the church on Rucker Road in Junction City), as well as “outside of both” of those locations from 2008 to 2012. Few other details have been released about the alleged child sex abuse.

Brown says Jordan Young plans to waive his preliminary hearing and enter into a negotiated settlement. On July 31, 2013, he is scheduled to appear in court to change his plea to guilty. Brown declined to discuss the terms of the plea deal but says Young will face "extensive time" behind bars.

A factual basis of Young's alleged crimes will be presented during the hearing in July.

Michelle Brown says she can also connect Young to four other victims and that all 10 cases will be incorporated into his plea agreement.

Jordan Young remains in the Geary County Jail. He is being held on a $1 million bond.He is being represented by Tom Lemon, a Topeka criminal defense attorney.

Jordan Young’s father, Edwin Young, abruptly resigned from his position as pastor around the time of his son’s arrest and left the area. Prosecutors confirm that Edwin Young is under investigation but that it is separate from the probe into Jordan Young’s alleged behavior at the church. Authorities in Geary County have been advised that Edwin Young now lives out of state and has retained an attorney but Brown did not elaborate further. Junction City police have refused to comment on Edwin Young over the past 10 months. Sources close to Faith Tabernacle say Edwin Young took a significant amount of money from the church when he left before his son was arrested. That has not been confirmed by Junction City/Geary County officials.