Pastor Attempts To Withdraw Child Sex Assault Plea: Report

A pastor at a Burlington County church who admitted to the sexual assault of four minors and inappropriate interaction with a fifth one reportedly wants to withdraw his guilty plea. Harry L. Thomas, 74, of Medford, previously pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, three counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

He was scheduled to be sentenced to 20 years in prison without the possibility of parole last Friday, according to nj.com. Once his attorney Robert Lord attempted to withdraw the plea saying the sentence amounted to a death sentence for the former pastor at Come Alive Church in Medford Township, the hearing was delayed.

The judge said Lord wasn’t aware she was considering the motion at the hearing, and would impose the sentence if she decided against Thomas, according to the Courier Post. Thus, Lord wasn’t prepared for potential issues that might come up during sentencing, which could result in a lengthy appeal. She canceled the hearing and apologized to friends and family that showed up in court.

Thomas was arrested in December and charged with multiple offenses that spanned several years ending in 2015. The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office didn't release details concerning his crimes out of privacy concerns for the victims. It did say that all the assaults took place in Medford between 1999 and 2015. He pleaded guilty in February.

The attached image of Harry L. Thomas was previously provided by the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office