Pedophile Earns Compassionate COVID-19 Early Release From Jail

A former pastor of First Baptist Church of Hammond, in prison for taking a 16-year-old girl across state lines for sex, is seeking a compassionate release because of the COVID-19 pandemic and his record as a “model prisoner,” according to court records.

Jack Schaap, 62, pleaded guilty to taking a 16-year-old girl he was counseling at First Baptist across state lines for sex, and in March 2013 he was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. He is serving his sentence in Ashland, Kentucky.

In a recent court document, Schaap wrote he asked for a pre-indictment plea “to show (he) accepted full responsibility and to avoid a lengthy trial period which (he) felt would be detrimental” to the church “and to prevent any other staff personnel from being indicted.”