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Scioto County Daily News
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  • Public Safety
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Pastor Gets 200 Years For Infant S-x Abuse

Cyn Mackley by Cyn Mackley
6 years ago
in Public Safety
Zweitzig
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A 71-year-old pastor was sentenced to 200 years in prison for sexually abusing an infant boy and a little girl. United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced the sentence for Jerry Zweitzig, of Hatsboro, Pennsylvania.

Zweitzig was the pastor at the Horsham Bible Church when the abuse occurred. Zweitzig admitted the charges.

Law enforcement said he sexually exploited a little girl under the age of 10 for several years. Zweitzig admitted photographing and videotaping the abuse. He had a collection of over 10,000 images of child pornography of four different hard drives.

According to court documents, those hard drives contained images of adult men raping small children, oral sex on babies by adult men and women, and insertion of objects into children. In the video, the children are clearly crying and in pain.

Zweitzig made a video back in 2010 that showed him coercing an infant under six months of age to suck on adult male genitalia. Zweitzig said, “that’s a good boy,” in the video.

In the girl’s case, he pleaded guilty to:

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  • five counts of manufacturing and attempted manufacturing of child pornography
  • one count of possession of child pornography

In the infant boy’s case, the former pastor pleaded guilty to:

    • one count of manufacturing
    • one count of attempted manufacturing of child pornography.

Abuse Left Attorney Almost Speechless

“The level of depravity in these cases leaves me almost speechless,” said U.S. Attorney William McSwain. “I will simply say this: today’s sentence ensures that Zweitzig will die in prison, which is probably a better fate than what he deserves.”

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“Safeguarding children from being victimized by predators is a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations,” said Brian A. Michael, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia. “Mr. Zweitzig’s behavior is deplorable, and the exploitation of children is inexcusable. HSI special agents and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue child predators, in every form, and ensure those who commit these atrocious crimes are brought to justice.”

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