JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A former church leader from Jacksonville faces the possibility of spending the next two decades incarcerated for crimes committed long ago.

Jerome Teschendorf, now 70, received a sentence of 20 years in Florida State Prison for capital sexual battery, coupled with an additional five years under sex offender probation.

He is the last of three defendants to be sentenced in this widely publicized case involving the Jacksonville Assembly of the Body of Christ situated on Old Kings Road. Authorities assert that multiple victims have come forward with allegations of abuse dating back to 1970.

The investigation was triggered by a tip in September 2020, gaining momentum following a police operation at the church and its associated school on March 9, 2022, which culminated in several arrests.

Two survivors testified before Teschendorf was sentenced, delivering statements that underscored the lasting impact of the abuse. 

One of them was Teschendorf’s former stepdaughter, Lisa, who described abuse beginning at age five and continuing for most 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.

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. 

The victim impact statements were acknowledged as central to Wednesday’s outcome for Teschendorf. After court, Lisa and Jennifer told First Coast News they believed some justice was finally served.