By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
WEST VIRGINIA – A former pastor in Sutton, West Virginia, has been found guilty of sexually motivated battery after prosecutors said he touched a female church member during a private counseling session.
Jason Allen, 53, served as pastor of Victory Apostolic Church. According to reporting attributed to WLBT, prosecutors said Allen was alone with a 24-year-old woman during a spiritual counseling session when he reached under her skirt and touched her leg and thigh while they discussed personal and religious concerns.
Allen denied wrongdoing during the trial and claimed the woman made up the allegation. However, prosecutors pointed to a recorded police interview in which Allen admitted touching the woman’s leg. He reportedly said he was checking a scar on her calf, though investigators said he also suggested the contact may have gone higher on her leg.
Allen claimed the woman gave permission, but prosecutors said the evidence and the woman’s testimony did not support that account.
The conviction raises serious concerns about trust, safety, and accountability in faith spaces, especially during private counseling sessions where members may be emotionally vulnerable.
Allen is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27. He faces up to one year in jail and may be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.