A Former Jacksonville church leader will spend two decades behind bars for crimes committed several decades ago.
70-year-old Jerome Teschendorf was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years at Florida State Prison for capital sexual battery, followed by five years of sex offender probation.
He is the third and final suspect to be sentenced in a high-profile case tied to the Jacksonville Assembly of the Body of Christ on Old Kings Road, a case that involved multiple victims alleging abuse dating as far back as 1970.
The investigation into the abuse started in September 2020, prompted by a tip. Police then conducted a raid on the church and school premises on March 9, 2022, which led to arrests. Two survivors testified before Teschendorf was sentenced, delivering statements that underscored the lasting impact of the abuse.
Teschendorf's Stepdaughter Said He Had Installed Hidden Cameras Throughout the House
One of them was Teschendorf's former stepdaughter, Lisa, who described abuse beginning at the age of five and continuing through a majority of her childhood. She said Teschendorf constantly monitored her and her family, placing hidden cameras and recording devices throughout the home, all while abusing Lisa both physically and sexually.
"He would sit at the end of my bed and cry and ask me to forgive him, then repeat the acts again," said Lisa. "That's why I said 'Forgiveness is for mistakes — it's not for choices."
Jennifer, another survivor and childhood friend of Lisa, also spoke. She said she never opened up about her traumatic experiences until detectives with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office reached out at the beginning of the investigation in 2020.
"To this day I question my faith," said Jennifer. "I wonder how God could allow this to happen and how differently life would've turned out, what it would have been like to live without unexpected triggers in situations that haunt me, or even how my reactions to things might be different or even non-existent."
Teschendorf did not acknowledge the victims in court, remaining stoic and fixated forward as the judge delivered the sentence. He had previously pleaded not guilty after negotiations with prosecutors, getting rid of the possibility of life in prison and labeling him a sex offender rather than a sexual predator.
Church was Described as a Cult by Victims
In interviews with First Coast News, victims likened the church to a cult, recalling "public humiliation" events, leaders branding "outsiders" as evil, and members being forced to attend school and church seven days a week.
The other two suspects in the investigation are already serving their sentences. Vernon Williamson received life in prison while the church's founder, Pastor Paul Dyal, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of contributing to the delinquency or dependency of a child. He was sentenced in May 2025 to five years of probation with no unsupervised contact with minors.
