MESA (AZ)
KPNX [Mesa AZ]
June 15, 2026
By Kevin Reagan
The pastor was arrested last year after a teen girl told Mesa police the pastor had inappropriately touched her.
A former pastor from Mesa has been sentenced to prison after he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor, court records show.
Stanley D. Jay, 62, was sentenced last month in Maricopa County Superior Court to seven years in prison for misconduct that apparently took place while the defendant was a pastor at Worship Life Center.
Jay was taken into custody after a teen girl told Mesa police the pastor had inappropriately touched her and asked to see nude pictures of her, records show.
The girl additionally told police about an instance at the pastor’s house that involved the defendant abusing her, records show.
Jay was arrested by Mesa police in July 2025.
Court records show Jay entered into a plea agreement earlier this year. Upon completing his prison sentence, the defendant will serve a term of lifetime probation.
The conditions of the defendant’s probation will involve registering as a sex offender, court records show.