WILLIAMSVILLE (NY)
Cheektowaga Bee [Williamsville, NY]
October 21, 2026
John A. Camardo, III, 47, of Williamsville, was sentenced Oct. 19 to eight years in prison plus 10 years of post-release supervision after pleading guilty to rape in the second degree and course of sexual conduct against a child.
The former executive pastor at The Chapel in Getzville and youth soccer coach with the Amherst Soccer Association and Amherst Hawks received the sentence from State Supreme Court Justice Deborah Haendiges. He must register as a sex offender.
Between April and May 2024 he engaged in sexual intercourse with a victim under 15, and between April 2025 and June 2026 he engaged in multiple acts of sexual conduct with a second victim under 13. Both crimes occurred in Amherst and he knew the victims. Final orders of protection were issued through 2054.
Invoking 1 Timothy 5:20-21, church leadership issued a public rebuke of Camardo’s actions in a letter to The Chapel community, denouncing abuse as sinful harm and calling him to full repentance.
“I commend these two brave victims, as their disclosures were essential to hold this defendant accountable for his crimes. I understand that it is incredibly difficult for crime victims, particularly survivors of sexual abuse, to come forward, but their cooperation is critical to uncover the truth and achieve justice. I encourage anyone who may have been victimized by this defendant, or anyone who has been the victim of a crime, to contact law enforcement,” said Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane.