Virginia

Va. Youth Leader Found Guilty of Having Inappropriate Contact With Teen Girl

Jordan Baird was sentenced to five months in jail

A youth pastor in Northern Virginia has been found guilty of having inappropriate contact with a teen girl.

A jury found 26-year-old Jordan Baird guilty on five counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor. All of those charges were connected to the abuse of one underage girl.

Baird was found not guilty on three other counts.

He has been sentenced to five months in jail. The maximum sentence for an indecent liberties conviction in Virginia is 10 years.

Baird was a youth pastor at The Life Church at 11234 Balls Ford Road in Manassas.

He was arrested in August 2016 after a 16-year-old girl told police he sent her inappropriate text messages and touched her inappropriately at the church numerous times between January and September 2015.

Prosecutors said in court Wednesday that Baird abused his position as a youth pastor.

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After his arrest, a second victim told police that Baird had inappropriate sexual contact with her, made inappropriate statements and exposed himself to her at the church in 2013. 

Baird's father, David Baird, is the senior pastor at The Life Church, which has four locations in Northern Virginia.

In a statement to News4 in August 2016, The Life Church said a church volunteer first notified leaders of Baird's alleged misconduct on June 10, 2016 and the church placed Baird on a leave of absence as they conducted an internal investigation.

"Jordan denies all allegations brought by Prince William County, but remains on leave from the church until the charges are resolved," The Life Church's statement read in part.

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