Minnesota Ex-pastor Gets 33 Years for Sexually Abusing Children

Pioneer Press
May 25, 2016

http://www.twincities.com/2016/05/26/ex-pastor-minnesota-gets-33-years-for-sexually-abusing-children/

A former pastor in northwestern Minnesota was sentenced Wednesday to 33 years and 10 months in prison for having sexual contact with children.

The Rev. Scott Morey of Shevlin, Minn., was charged in 2014 with eight first-degree, three second-degree and three fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct charges.

Clearwater County, Minn., Pastor Scott Morey, 43, of Shevlin, was arrested in January of 2015 and charged with multiple counts of felony criminal sexual conduct for acts that allegedly occurred between 2009 and 2014. (Forum News Service)

A jury found the 43-year-old guilty April 20 on 13 of the 14 counts, and he was acquitted on one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

At Morey’s sentencing hearing Wednesday afternoon in Clearwater County District Court, the prosecution asked for 44? years in prison, and the defense countered with 15 years in prison.

Judge Eric Schieferdecker then sentenced Morey to the 33 years and 10 months. He also included a good time contingency, where if Morey successfully completes a sex offender program, he could ultimately spend two-thirds of his sentence in prison, which would be about 22 years.

“In his case, because of the nature and volume of offenses, he’d be on additional release probably for the rest of his life,” Clearwater County Attorney Richard Mollin Jr. said, and he’d be “closely watched” or could be in some lesser form of jail for monitoring.

Morey will be a lifetime registered sex offender.

Mollin also asked for about $3,800 in restitution to cover the costs of bringing in victims, witnesses and an expert for the case.

Morey had been a pastor in three Minnesota churches: Calvary Lutheran Church in Winger, Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bejou and Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in McIntosh. He resigned as pastor at the churches on Dec. 12, 2014, according to the Rev. Lawrence Wohlrabe, bishop with the Northwestern Minnesota Synod ELCA in Moorhead.

His convictions are related to incidents with two minor children, according to a news release from the Clearwater County attorney’s office.

Morey engaged in sexual contact with juvenile males while in a position of authority over his victims, according to a criminal complaint.

The abuse occurred at a Clearwater County residence, and investigators said Morey offered his victims money, an iPod and a phone if they engaged in sexual acts with him.