TERRYTOWN (LA)
ChurchLeaders [Colorado Springs CO]
July 6, 2026
By Dale Chamberlain
The jail sentence for a former pastor convicted of child sex abuse has been increased from 80 years to 130 years. Terry Reed, who in May was convicted of four charges, had previously been convicted for similar offenses.
Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of child sex abuse that some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.
Reed, 66, reportedly operated his church, Vessels of Christ Ministry, out of his home in Terrytown, Louisiana, which is in the New Orleans metropolitan area.
At the time of the abuse, Reed was already a registered sex offender with a history of targeting teen boys. He pleaded guilty to indecent behavior with a juvenile in 1997. He pleaded guilty to indecent behavior with a juvenile and molestation of a juvenile in 2017.
In 2023, Reed was arrested after a victim came forward to allege that Reed sexually abused him from the ages of 16 to 21. The victim accused Reed of performing sex acts on him and making him shower with Reed.
Authorities said that Reed used Scripture to normalize his sexual abuse of victims. One victim told investigators that Reed claimed sexual acts would provide the “covering of Jesus” and protect the victim from evil.
Another victim, who also came forward in 2023, said that he was abused by Reed as a teen after moving into Reed’s home in 2011.
During the investigation, Reed admitted to engaging in sex acts with the boys, but he claimed that at the time of the encounters, the teens were 17, which is the age of consent in Louisiana. He also claimed that diabetes and prostate cancer had left him unable to perform sexually and that he had not engaged in any sex acts in a decade.
Reed’s defense claimed that the only evidence against Reed was the victims’ testimony. However, given Reed’s previous convictions for similar crimes and the credibility of the victims’ accounts, the jury convicted Reed.
Reed was found guilty of two counts of third-degree rape and two counts of molestation of a juvenile. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before handing down the verdict.
Reed received 25 years in prison for each of the two rape charges and 15 years in prison for each of the two molestation charges.
The sentences were ordered to be served consecutively, for a total of 80 years. After the sentence was handed down, prosecutors sought to enhance it.
In light of Reed’s previous convictions, which indicate a longstanding pattern of abusive behavior, a judge has now increased that sentence to 130 years.
Dale Chamberlain (M.Div.) is a content manager for ChurchLeaders. With experience in pastoral ministry as well as the corporate marketing world, he is also an author and podcaster who is passionate about helping people tackle ancient truths in everyday settings. Dale lives in Southern California with his wife Tamara and their four children.