A California man who resigned from his role as a youth pastor a month before his arrest has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a family member, The Modesto Bee reported.
Michael Sasser, 41, was charged in April with three counts of child molestation for incidents that occurred last year. This Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to the continuous sexual abuse of a child and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. As the result of a plea deal, he had two other charges dropped.
“It was in the best interest of all parties involved that this case be resolved quickly, as opposed to being long and drawn out,” said Sasser’s attorney Rebecka A. Monez. “The plea represents the reality of the crimes, and the defense is content with the resolution.”
Sasser was the co-leader of the student ministry at Redeemer Church in the city of Modesto. When he resigned on Feb. 28, the church’s lead pastor, Patrick Nagle, said the resignation was for “personal reasons” and “to focus on himself and his family.”
“We notified parents that there was an issue that took place in the home and CPS (Child Protective Services) and police were involved,” Nagle said in April. “We made it clear as well to parents that he is no longer allowed to serve in any capacity here or allowed in the building.”
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