Pastor Headed to Prison

By David Linton
Sun Chronicle
November 6, 2014

http://www.thesunchronicle.com/news/local_news/pastor-headed-to-prison/article_b30a676a-3ffa-581c-bd56-be339831483c.html

FOR LINTON STORY Pastor Jeffrey Nichols of the Grace Baptist Church in Attleboro, MA is arraigned in Attleboro District Court Tuesday, January 14, 2014 on charges of sexual assault. The assault involving a female spanned over four years. Nichols' bail was set at $25,000.

The former assistant pastor of Grace Baptist Church and principal of Grace Baptist Christian Academy was sentenced to prison Thursday after pleading guilty to molesting one of his female students.

The Rev. Jeffrey A. Nichols, 48, was sentenced to a maximum five years in prison after pleading guilty in Fall River Superior Court, according to a spokeswoman for the Bristol County District Attorney's Office.

Nichols, who was a trusted assistant to church Pastor Jeff Bailey for 23 years, admitted to molesting one of his seventh-grade students beginning in 2008 when she was 13. The abuse continued until the end of the school year in June 2013.

Nichols repeatedly indecently touched the girl and also made sexual comments to her. He asked her to expose herself to him and exposed himself to her, prosecutors said after his arrest.

His arrest shocked Bailey and the church, where Nichols had been a respected married father of three children. His wife was also a teacher at the school.

Prior to his arrest, Nichols had been known to the church congregation for his compassion and work helping drug addicts, alcoholics and homeless people.

Nichols confessed to Bailey when word spread about the incidents, then admitted the crime when questioned by police. Bailey said he told Nichols to turn himself in to police.

He was sentenced by Judge Renee Dupuis.

In addition to the prison term, Nichols will also be placed on probation.

Nichols must register as a sex offender and undergo sex offender's counseling, according to the District Attorney's Office and his lawyer, Gregory DiPaolo of Fall River.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Casey Smith.

It was investigated by Attleboro detectives Steven Beaudet, Kevin Fuoco and Capt. Brett Poirier. They were assisted by officers Sgt. James Miller and Keith Golden.