ILLINOIS
Journal Star
Andy Kravetz
Journal Star courts reporter
Posted Jul. 23, 2015
PEORIA — A former youth pastor was sentenced Thursday to 21 years in prison for sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl last year.
Nicholas Lawrence, 27, apologized for his behavior over the nearly seven-month period that he engaged in the illicit conduct, saying it was selfish of him and inexcusable.
“The words ‘I am sorry’ just don’t seem strong enough,” he said, adding that he has worked to modify his behavior so he could deal with things in a more appropriate manner.
Prosecutor Donna Cruz pushed Peoria County Judge David Brown for a lengthy sentence and, during the 90-minute hearing, offered evidence that Lawrence had engaged in inappropriate conversations with two other young girls, had thousands of images of child porn and child erotica on his laptops and had manipulated the girl he abused for years.
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