A pastor and registered sex offender pleaded not guilty Friday to raping and molesting two teenage boys that authorities say he preyed on through the church he operated out of his Terrytown home, according to Jefferson Parish court records.
Terry Reed, 63, was charged Thursday with two counts of third-degree rape and four counts of molestation of a juvenile, as reported by NOLA.
Reed Told the Teens the Sexual Activity Would 'Help Them Become a Man'
Investigators allege Reed coerced the teens, telling them that sexual activity with him would provide them with the "covering of Jesus" and "help them become a man," according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office.
The first victim, now 19, contacted the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in June and revealed that Reed had been sexually abusing him since he was about 16 years old, according to court records. They met through Reed's church, Vessels of Christ Ministry, authorities said.
The alleged rapes occurred between 2020 and 2023, with other sexual interactions reported as far back 2019, according to authorities. A second alleged victim, a now-29-year-old man, came forward after Reed's arrest on June 29, the Sheriff's Office said. He, too, reported sexual abuse at Reed's hands between 2010 and 2011, when he was about 15, according to authorities.
Reed is accused of fondling the second victim, showering naked with the teen and other sexual activity, court records said.
Reed Previously Sentenced to Probation on Molestation, Indecent Behavior Charges
In a similar case, Reed pleaded guilty to molestation of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile in 2017, Jefferson Parish court records said. He was sentenced to five years of active probation after he admitted to inappropriately touching and sleeping naked with a 15-year-old boy. Reed completed his probation for that conviction in 2022 but must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, authorities said.
The 2017 case, however, wasn't the first time Reed faced allegations of inappropriate behavior with a minor. In 1997, he was convicted of indecent behavior with a male juvenile and was sentenced to five years of probation, Jefferson Parish court records said. Reed was being held Monday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. Bail was set at $250,000.
