Former Wayne County Pastor Pleads Guilty To Sexual Abuse

Lex 18
April 16, 2014

http://www.lex18.com/news/former-wayne-county-pastor-pleads-guilty-to-sex-charges

A Wayne County pastor entered a guilty plea to more than a dozen charges of sexual abuse, but he is not going to jail.

Gerald Dishman admitted in court Tuesday to sexually abusing two sisters when they were very young back in the 1980's and early 90's.

Dishman was originally indicted on 13 first degree rape charges back in 2011, but the charges were lessened so the case wouldn't have to go to trial.

LEX 18 News talked to one of the victims of this sexual abuse last year.

Becky, who asked us at the time not to use her last name, said she just wanted to see justice done. But circumstances of the case made it clear that with only so much evidence, accepting a lesser guilty plea might be safer than letting the case go to trial.

"It was in the late 70s when he first started raping me and it went on until I was 15 years old," Becky said. "And I just want to see justice done. I just want him to get what's coming to him."

Because the charges were lessened, Gerald Dishman will likely not be seeing any jail time.

The recommended sentencing is five years probation, that goes up to 10 years if Dishman were to violate his probation.

Dishman was a pastor of the Denny Hollow Jesus Name Church on Highway 200 in Monticello.