Sex offender may stay on probation for life

Repeatedly calling the crime "reprehensible," a judge Monday sentenced a former church employee to possibly a lifetime on probation for sexually assaulting a then-15-year-old parishioner.

Jon Moore, 52, had previously pleaded guilty to sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust as part of a plea agreement.

Fourth Judicial District Judge Larry Schwartz accepted the plea agreement, then sentenced Moore to a minimum of 10 years' "sex offender intensive supervised" probation. Depending on probation officers' recommendations, Moore could remain on probation the rest of his life.

Schwartz also ordered Moore to enroll in sex-offender treatment, register as a sex offender, have no contact with anyone under 18 years old and stay off the Internet. The deal called for up to 60 days jail, but Moore has been in jail since pleading guilty Oct. 23, so he has already served 76 days behind bars.

"What he did was reprehensible, and he will have to deal with it for the rest of his life, as she will, too." Schwartz said.

It was Moore's first felony conviction.

Moore admitted he began assaulting the girl when she was 15 years old in 2004, while he was an employee of Lighthouse Baptist Church. The abuse continued for more than a year. Some of the assaults occurred after Sunday services in the church basement.

"I'm ashamed for what I did," said Moore, who is retired from the Air Force.

"It's hard to ask for forgiveness because I can't forgive myself," he said.

"I just want a chance to go home so I can prove to the community that I'm not a monster and not a threat."

Moore's wife and two of his children spoke Monday in support of him.

Lighthouse Rev. Jim Carroll said he served as pastor to both families. He continues to help the Moore family, who remained at the church.

"He knows and understands what he did was wrong," Carroll said of Moore, adding it was a "huge, unfortunate thing" for both families and the church.

The victim's family - who now lives out of the state - attended Moore's first scheduled sentencing last month, which was delayed to Monday. Her father said then his daughter lost her innocence and will be affected for the rest of her life.

"It's very hard for her to trust men," her father said last month.

The Gazette does not normally identify victims of sexual assault.