A local pastor accused of indecent exposure entered an Alford plea in his criminal case during a pretrial conference Monday morning.
28-year-old Jacob Stegall was a youth pastor at Better Life Church in Morehead, but resigned his position in the wake of a criminal investigation with 4 different victims claiming he had exposed himself to them on different occasions beginning in 2016. He was charged with just one county of indecent exposure.
An Alford plea means the accused does not admit to the charges, but acknowledges there is sufficient evidence to convict him of the crime.
Assistant County Attorney Stephen Geurin explained the plea agreement to the court.
A civil case against Steagall and the church was filed last week, but a court date has not yet been set. The documents allege the victims made multiple male supervisors, including Lead Pastor Daniel Lucas, aware of their situation as early as 2016. The plaintiffs claim they were told Steagall’s behavior was accidental and instructed to never discuss it.