SANTA ANA, Calif. – A former pastor was sentenced today to two years in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration for sexual battery of four female church members. Sean Patrick Aday, 39, Lake Forest, pleaded guilty on Nov. 4, 2016, to two felony counts of sexual battery by restraint and two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery.
At the time of the crime, Aday was working as a youth pastor at Grace Community Church in Lake Forest. The defendant sexually assaulted four adult female church members on church property or during church trips overseas.
Between Nov. 30, 2014, and Aug. 1, 2015, Aday sexually touched Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 against their will for the purpose of the defendant’s sexual arousal, gratification, and abuse.
Between Jan. 1, 2008, and Nov. 6, 2015, Aday sexually touched Jane Doe 3 and Jane Doe 4 against their will while the victims were restrained for the purpose of the defendant’s sexual arousal, gratification, and abuse.
In October 2015, Jane Doe 1 reported the crime to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, who investigated this case and arrested the defendant on Nov. 6, 2015.
Prior to Aday’s conviction on Nov. 4, 2016 during a pre-trial hearing, three of the victims as well as family members of the victims delivered impact statements to the court pursuant to Marsy’s Law. Jane Doe 1 said in part, “You were an authority figure and you abused that. You tried to use God to manipulate me. You knew I had a hard time trusting to begin with and when you finally gained my trust, you took advantage of it.”
Jane Doe 2 said in part, “You may have plead guilty today, but if you had truly meant it, you would’ve said it a long time ago. You dragged this out for a year, putting everyone around you through hell.”
The mother of Jane Doe 1 said in part, “Because of what you’ve done, the repercussions are great. Our relationship has changed. You tore our family apart. We were always close, but we struggle now.” She continued, “A man who is repentant will make amends and restitution to those he’s wronged … Instead, these young women have been victimized by having to endure continuance after continuance for a year while Mr. Aday and his attorney figured out their best legal strategies.”
