Former Missouri City pastor William B. Woodward, 62, was sentenced to 10 years for sexually assaulting a child (Photo courtesy of Fort Bend Co. District Attorney's Office)
RICHMOND, Texas - Authorities in Fort Bend County said a former pastor will be spending the next 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting a child.
The District Attorney's announced in a press release that William Benjamin Woodward, 62, pled guilty to the charge of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child in June 2022.
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Woodward previously served as pastor for a Baptist church in Missouri City from 2009 until he was arrested in April 2021.
Investigators said Woodward had no previous criminal history and "immediately started sex offender therapy after the child in this case made an outcry of abuse."
However, the DA's office says the victim's father "provided compelling testimony about how Mr. Woodward’s actions have detrimentally impacted the child, their family, and their church community. William Woodward broke the trust of people who loved and trusted him, as well as those he served."
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In the end, a judge sentenced the 62-year-old to 10 years in prison. The decision was praised by Fort Bend Co. District Attorney Brian Middleton.
"No one is above the law and justice requires the punishment to fit the crime," he said.