Ex-pastor, coach who filmed himself molesting boy deserves long prison term, court rules

PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

By Matt Miller | mmiller@pennlive.com
on January 12, 2016

A former Lancaster County youth pastor and junior high school basketball coach who filmed himself performing sex acts on a 13-year-old boy lost a bid Tuesday to void his 25 1/2- to 80-year state prison sentence.

A state Superior Court panel rejected Jonathan D. Masteller’s claims that his punishment was excessive.

Masteller, formerly the head junior high boy’s basketball coach for Pequea Valley School District was sentenced by a county judge in November 2014 after pleading guilty to 12 sex crimes involving abuse of the boy.

He had been the victim’s basketball coach and youth pastor, Senior Judge William H. Platt wrote in the state court opinion. The abuse was discovered in November 2013 when a pastor at the Family Center in Gap found photos of Masteller molesting the boy on Masteller’s work computer.

The boy later told police about the abuse, and Masteller admitted committing the crimes and using the camera in his cell phone to record the incidents. Masteller pleaded guilty to charges including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault. possession of child pornography, aggravated indecent assault and corruption of minors without having a sentencing deal with prosecutors.

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