NEW JERSEY
MyCentralJersey
ELIZABETH — Plainfield is a deeply religious city, with some estimates listing more than 100 churches managing to find a home in an area not much larger than six square miles. And leaders of those churches aren’t just men and women of God: they’re counselors, confidants, friends and family — all rolled into one.
It’s why what George Benbow did hurt so many, so badly.
The former city pastor, founder of Christian Fellowship Gospel Church, was sentenced to 11 years in state prison Friday for sexually assaulting or otherwise touching at least five young girls during a span of nearly a decade.
“As I give thought to how the actions of George Benbow Sr. (have) affected my family and myself, it would be untruthful to say that this man was not influential in my life, or that he did nothing for me. He did a lot for me and my family,” Kristina Tucker, the mother of one victim, wrote in an impact statement to presiding Superior Court Judge Stuart Peim. “This is one of the major reasons why it was so devastating to hear what he had done to my daughter. His actions affected not only my family, but were destructive to a church and a community.”
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.