Dennis V. Wright, 67, was found guilty by a jury of his peers on 14 of the 15 sex related charges involving a total of three victims.

Wright was found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage girl who lived in the area, a mentally challenged adult woman, and another church member, during a time when Wright served as the pastor of the Old Emory Church on Jimes Emory Road in Madison Township.

One of the victims was his own son, who at 37 years of age now, was only 10 years old at the time of the crime dating back to 1989 and 1990.

Wright was convicted of assaulting the teenage girl on many occasions between 2012 and 2015 and the mentally challenged adult in both 2009 and 2010. It was during the investigation that the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) uncovered the third victim, Wright’s son.

The unnamed female was only 13-years-old when the first incident occurred at Wright’s home in 2012. The investigation began when the girl’s father found out about the situation and reported it to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in February, 2015.

Jury selection for the trial began on Monday, May 9, and the trial itself ended on Monday, May 16. The trial might have wrapped up on Friday, May 13, but Wright was silently taken out of the courtroom when he complained of chest pains. The concern was that he was having a heart attack, but after a trip to the hospital he was medically cleared and able to resume his trial.

Once court resumed on Monday, May 16, at 9 a.m., the attorneys wrapped up with closing statements.

During one portion of closing arguments, Assistant Attorney General Eric Michener addressed comments the defendant’s attorney had asked about why these children kept going back around Wright if he was sexually abusing them. Michener explained that Wright would buy the children things, take them places, or buy them food because those were important things to the children.

Michener next told the jury that these children had known Wright, and that it is hard for children to separate from people they know and love. He stated that Wright was also a Pastor who had authority, and that Pastor Wright abused his authority and that in one instance he took advantage of he victim’s desire to be independent and led her to believe he would help her.

The jury was then read instructions before they began deliberations. They were then released around 11 a.m. to go to their chambers to begin deliberations.

By 2:20 p.m. the jury was ready to present their verdict.

Wright was found guilty of seven counts of rape, two counts of sexual battery, two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and three counts of gross sexual imposition. Wright was found not guilty on one count of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance.

Wright looked back at one of his victims while listening to the jurors “guilty verdict” and said to her, “Shame on you.” He was immediately ordered to look forward.

Judge Christopher J. Regan will schedule a sentencing date at a later time. The Jackson County Times-Journal will update information as it comes in.