CA Student Ministry Leader Sentenced to 12 Years for Child Abuse

Had also served as elder of Redeemer Church

A student ministry leader arrested last year on suspicion of child molestation has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to 12 years.

Michael Sasser / Photo via social media

Last year, MinistryWatch reported on Michael Sasser, 41, a youth ministry co-leader at Redeemer Church in Modesto, Calif.

Sasser turned himself in to authorities after the family member of a victim contacted police to report child abuse. Authorities charged Sasser with three counts of sexually abusing a child, including continually sexually abusing a child 14 years of age or younger for acts that occurred in 2022.

In June, Sasser pleaded guilty to several charges, including the continuous sexual abuse of a child. Authorities sentenced him to 12 years in prison. As a result of a plea deal, the court dropped two other charges against him.

When Sasser resigned on Feb. 28, 2023, the church’s lead pastor, Patrick Nagle, said the resignation was for “personal reasons” and “to focus on himself and his family,” according to the Modesto Bee.

Sasser also previously served as a church elder. Both were volunteer roles, Nagle said.

After Sasser’s arrest in March 2023, Nagle told the Bee that Redeemer Church learned of the criminal investigation shortly before Sasser’s arrest. They then told parents of children in the youth group, assuring them that, while Sasser had been charged with child sex crimes, none of the alleged instances occurred at the church. He also said no crimes stemming from Sasser’s role at the church had come to light.

Nagle said Sasser is no longer allowed to serve in any capacity with the church or allowed in the building.

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At the time of Sasser’s arrest, Redeemer Church, now called Redeemer or Redeemer Modesto, was part of the Acts 29 church-planting network. However, there are currently no records for Redeemer on the Acts 29 church finder, and the church has removed Acts 29 materials from its website and social media.

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Why does MinistryWatch report on sex crimes? These stories are tough to read and sometimes even tougher to report, but we think they are vital to our mission to bring transparency, accountability, and credibility to the evangelical church. To read more about why and how we report these stories, read “Why MinistryWatch Reports On Sex Crimes.” You can find that story here.

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