A suburban New Orleans pastor has been handed an 80-year prison sentence after being convicted of sexually molesting two boys, marking his third conviction for abusing minors.
Terry Reed was sentenced in a state court hearing on Thursday. During the proceedings, the mother of one of the victims read a victim-impact statement on behalf of her son, describing Reed as “an utter failure and a sorry excuse for a man.”
Jurors found Reed guilty on May 6 of two counts of third-degree rape and two counts of molestation of a juvenile, according to a statement from Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connick’s office.
How Reed Gained Trust
Reed molested both survivors after gaining the trust of their guardians. He took them into his home in the Jefferson community of Terrytown. Prosecutors established that Reed, under the guise of acting as their pastor, used biblical scripture to manipulate the youths into believing his sexually abusive behavior was normal.
Prior Convictions
The May verdict followed two prior convictions for similar crimes. In 1997, Reed pleaded guilty to indecent behavior with a juvenile. In 2017, he pleaded guilty to indecent behavior with a juvenile and molestation of a juvenile.
Reed faced up to 40 years in prison on each of the juvenile molestation convictions from May when he appeared before Judge Ray Steib for sentencing. Steib imposed the maximum after hearing from the mother of one of the survivors, who detailed how she trusted Reed because she had known him since childhood.
She said Reed knew she had been sexually molested as a child herself. She recounted that she was a single mother living outside Louisiana when she asked Reed for help for her troubled son before he took the minor in.
“I gave Terry the opportunity to be the grandfather figure that he long wanted to be,” she said during the hearing. Reed’s subsequent abuse “triggered the deepest wound of my childhood. I felt profoundly betrayed,” she added.
The statement read on behalf of her son said: “It is done. It is over. And I couldn’t be more glad.” It also said, “You disgust me,” referring to Reed.
Other Incidents
Another dark chapter in Reed’s past involved the deaths of two boys—ages 12 and 13—in a hot tub at his home in 2002. Investigators determined the children had been electrocuted but could not classify the deaths as homicide, suicide, accidental, or natural, according to a contemporary news report.
Like much of the rest of the US, the New Orleans area has long dealt with sexually abusive religious leaders. At least five former Catholic priests within the archdiocese of New Orleans have been convicted of sexually violent crimes, including against children, after the institution filed for federal bankruptcy protection in 2020 amid a clergy abuse scandal.
In February, in the New Orleans suburb of Chalmette, Pentecostal pastor Milton Otto Martin III was sentenced to seven years in prison for molesting a teenage girl.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact the Childhelp abuse hotline at 800-422-4453 or visit their website. For adult survivors of child abuse, help is available at ascasupport.org. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111 and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) supports adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents, and teachers can contact Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380.
