Former Church Teacher Faces Sexual Abuse Allegations in North Ridgeville

By Bruce Geiselman
The Plain Dealer
January 11, 2013

http://www.cleveland.com/north-ridgeville/index.ssf/2013/01/former_church_teacher_faces_se.html

View full size Jeremy Pettry

NORTH RIDGEVILLE - A former church instructor is accused of sexual abuse involving young boys.

A Lorain County grand jury indicted Jeremy A. Pettry, 32, on two counts of rape and six counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. The charges are outlined in an indictment filed in Lorain County Common Pleas Court. The indictment was returned in December.

It states the alleged offenses took place between July 2004 and September 2008. It does not specify the number of victims.

North Ridgeville police Detective Randall Young said he could not release many details.

“The investigation is ongoing,” Young said. “Even though he has been arrested on a few charges, the ball is still rolling on this thing.”

Young is asking anyone with information to come forward. His office wants to determine if there are additional alleged victims.

“He was a youth leader, teacher type for 11- and 12-year-old boys at the Pearlbrook Church of God in Cleveland,” Young said. “Class members would come and spend the night Saturday night and go to church the next day on Sunday morning. They would stay at his house and watch movies and play games. We had several victims come forward and say there may have been some type of sexual misconduct during that time.”

At the time of the incidents, Pettry lived in North Ridgeville. He now lives in Elyria, according to court records.

Pettry, who is no longer affiliated with Pearlbrook Church, is now an ordained minister, although he was not one at the time, Young said.

Pettry entered a not guilty plea during his Dec. 20 arraignment. His attorney, Anthony Manning, said he only recently received information from the prosecutor’s office about the case involving his client and he is still familiarizing himself with the case.

“I really can’t comment on it at all,” Manning said.

Pettry has not been connected with the Pearlbrook Church for at least a couple of years, said church pastor Gary Lauzon.

“I was so shocked, I couldn’t believe it,” Lauzon said of the allegations.

He said church leaders would have contacted authorities if they had any suspicions. He said Pettry had no leadership position with the church, but he did teach some classes. He said teachers are never alone with students on campus, and the church has other safeguards in place.

Lorain County Prosecutor Dennis Will could not be reached for comment.