Former Youth Pastor at North Syracuse Church Sentenced for Child Sex Abuse in Maryland

By Jeff Stein
Post-Standard
February 8, 2014

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/02/north_syracuse_pastor_put_son_accused_of_child_sexual_abuse_in_charge_of_youth_p.html

North Syracuse, N.Y. -- A former youth pastor at a North Syracuse church was sentenced last week on charges of sexually abusing a minor in Maryland.

Shaun Michael Ross, 33, pleaded guilty to the charges. He is accused of groping a 16-year-old girl when he was in a position of authority over her from April 2008 to April 2010.

Ross was put in charge of youth programs at the Victory Christian Center in North Syracuse in April. Three months later, he was charged with crimes in Maryland, where he was director of a youth ministry.

Ross was sentenced on Jan. 29. As part of a plea agreement, he will serve 18 months behind bars and face five years of probation. One of the initial two child sex abuse charges was thrown out as part of the plea deal.

"You do something of that nature, and it's so calculated -- in reality, 18 months is nowhere near enough," said John Kenney, pastor of the the Calvary Assembly church in Walkersville, Md., where Ross worked. "But I'm not the law."

Kenney said he immediately expelled Ross from the church after learning of the allegations.

"I was totally shocked -- there was absolutely no sign of it at all," Kenney said. "I confronted him and he quickly admitted to what he had done and what he had been doing."

As part of the plea, Ross will have to register as a sex offender, said Frederick County Assistant State's Attorney Lindell K. Angel.

He is also forbidden from owning pornography and cannot have a job that puts him in contact with females younger than 16, Angel said.

"I think it was a fair disposition -- I resolved it in full agreement with the victim," Angel said. "She's very satisfied with the disposition and that she didn't have to go through a trial."

Pastor Kenney said that the victim's family remain devout members of his church.

"You never really heal from something like this," Kenney said. "The sad thing is that the victims are really wounded for life."

But he was quick to add that the victim and her family are healing.

"The young lady is a strong lady, very determined," Kenney said. "Her faith is strong."

Ross' father is the Rev. Terry Ross, senior pastor at the Victory Christian Center.