A suburban New Orleans religious pastor has been convicted of sexually molesting two minors, marking the third instance of a man described as “the worst kind of predator” being found guilty of abusing teenage boys.
Details of the Case
Terry Reed, 66, used biblical verses and scripture to “manipulate, normalize and justify his sexual behavior” with the two victims at the center of the latest case, according to Louisiana state prosecutors. One victim began visiting and later moved into Reed’s home at age 16 in August 2021 after a strained relationship with his mother. Reed abused the teenager multiple times before the victim reported him to authorities, leading to his arrest in 2023. Subsequently, a second victim came forward, reporting that he had also endured repeated sexual abuse by Reed after moving into the pastor’s home in May 2011 at age 16.
Prosecutors in Louisiana’s Jefferson Parish charged Reed with two counts each of third-degree rape and molestation of a juvenile. The jury deliberated for less than an hour on May 6 to find him guilty on all charges.
Previous Convictions
This verdict came nearly 20 years after Reed pleaded guilty in 1997 to a separate charge of indecent behavior with a juvenile. He also pleaded guilty in 2017 to molestation of a juvenile, telling that victim that “to fight off demons” he had to submit to certain acts, according to the Jefferson Parish district attorney’s office. Reed received probation in both previous cases. He was ministering from his home in Terrytown when arrested in 2023.
Prosecutor Statements
At the time of his arrest, Reed “readily admitted” to being a sex offender but later claimed medical ailments left him unable to perform sexually and that he had been celibate for a decade. He also argued that any sexual contact occurred after the victims reached Louisiana’s age of consent, which is 17. Prosecutor James Wascom told jurors that Reed demonstrated a pattern of “preying on these very, very troubled boys who don’t have a father figure in their lives.” Co-counsel Eric Cusimano stated that Reed “held himself out to be a saint” but in reality “he is the worst kind of predator … that we can have.”
Sentencing
Reed’s sentencing is tentatively scheduled for June 18 before Judge Raymond Steib. He faces up to 25 years for each third-degree rape conviction and between five and 40 years for each molestation conviction. Another incident from Reed’s past, not mentioned in court, involved the electrocution deaths of two boys aged 12 and 13 in a hot tub at his home in 2002. Authorities were unable to classify the deaths as homicide, suicide, accidental, or natural.
The United States has long grappled with sexually abusive religious leaders across denominations. Recent high-profile cases include former missionary Daniel Savala, who pleaded guilty in Texas to sexually abusing two boys and received a 30-year sentence without parole, and former Catholic priest Robert Mendez Esquivel, sentenced in Idaho to a maximum of 15 years for sexual battery of a minor.
