40-year-old Jeremy “Jack” Ryan Duffer is/was an associate pastor and youth minister at Seaford Baptist Church in Virginia. He was arrested about a week and a half ago on two charges that he had consensual sex with a teenager from his youth group earlier this month and late last month as well. He was booked into jail on charges of Taking Indecent Liberties with a Minor and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.
As soon as the church learned of his arrest, they suspended him with pay from all his duties. According to the Seaford Baptist Church web site staff page “Jack Duffer is no longer actively serving Seaford Baptist. We covet your prayers during this difficult time in the life of our church body” I guess Jack showed more of an interest in the church body than he should have. Anyway, after his arrest Jack was released on bond.
It gets worse though.
A second teenager from SBC has come forward admitting that Pastor Jack had sex with her in two different areas of York County but that this time it wasn’t consensual. The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office had to arrest Duffer again this past Friday. He has been charged with an additional 34 sex-related charges and is currently house in the Virgina Regional Peninsula Jail. This time the charges are 17 counts of Taking Indecent Liberties with a Minor and seventeen counts of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. His bond has been revoked and he has a preliminary hearing on November 19th.
Jack has been a pastor for the last 17 years and is married with four children. When I was 18-20 (a loooong time ago) I was as bad as any other teenager. I wasn’t too worried about whether they were under or over 18 but having children changes that somehow. How anyone with children can have sex with other children just boggles the mind.
Anyhow, I am just waiting for more victims to pop up. Prior to moving to Seaford in Virginia back in January of 2008 Jack Duffer was a pastor at University Avenue Baptist Church in Honolulu. That’s a pretty big damn move. Not just like moving to another city close-by for more money. Who would want to leave paradise to move to Virginia anyway and why? According to UAB in Honolulu Jack announced his resignation there in November of 2007 after having served there for five years.
I will say this about the whole thing though. I wasn’t even going to post this story originally when the first two charges came out as all of the research that I had done pointed to someone who really served his church (if you believe all that religious claptrap) and had done a lot of good (see this post for example, last paragraph). That is still unarguable as far as I am concerned. He loves what he does and cares for his wife and four children and it’s obvious they love him. His wife Shelly posted a beautiful dedication to Jack a few years back when they were in Hawaii (I’ve lost the link now).
The fact that there is another girl (whether it was consensual sex or not is debatable) leads me to believe that this is a man that needs to be punished and needs to find help for his issues and is why I have decided to publish this. I don’t believe that pedophiles can be cured or reformed except in death but if they can let’s hope this guy gets it.
Updated 11/2/2022 – Duffer originally faced a total of 18 felony charges that could have carried a sentence totaling 165 years but entered a plea bargain to have the charges against him reduced. He pleaded guilty to one charge of an indecent act with a child and eight counts of aggravated sexual battery. He received 17 years in prison
Sources:
http://www.wydaily.com/2913/Seaford-Youth-Pastor-Faces-Additional-Charges.html
http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/local_wavy_yorkcounty_youth_pastor_jailed_again_20090824
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_pastor_0825aug25,0,7472213.story
Richard,
I appreciate the way in which you posted this article. Whether intended or not, it showed sensitivity to those who served under his leadership and acknowledged that the good done is not necessarily undone by who he now appears to be. There are many youth who, in fact, have experienced a lot of positive things working with Jack and who are now struggling with reconciling the man they served with and the one they now confront.
I am of like mind concerning rehabilitation – my suspicion is there is a past of which we know little. Thanks for your positive, insightful approach to a difficult topic and situation.
The only reason I am here is because I know Jack. He’s the first (and hopefully only) pedophile I know. I, for the first time, did a google search on a pedophile. I feel sick about it. Anywho, that’s how I found you. I don’t know who you are or why you are so interested in sex crimes. But here I am, ready to give you my .02.
.
First, how do you KNOW so many facts about this case? Is it right for you to put in print that it was/was not consensual? I haven’t read that in any of the newspaper articles.
I totally agree with you in regards to his departure from the lovely Hawaii. When I got the news about this horrific crime I immediately thought “Oh…that’s why he left Hawaii”. I’m willing to bet my .02 cents above that he had an inappropriate relationship with a teenager in Hawaii, got caught, asked the church for forgiveness, the church and the girl decided “if you just LEAVE we will not press charges”. Shame on that church if they gave him a glowing review! And I’m willing to bet he thinks he he can pull the “pray for me” routine again. Think again buddy pedi boy..the LAW is involved this time. I bet he thinks that he can cry the ol’ “I have a sickness and need your prayers and support” routine and that people will fall for that line o’ crap.
I am a christian that is REALLY struggling with this case. I can’t bring myself to pray for this man! I want him severly punished for what he has done. I don’t believe he can be rehabilitated.
i am one of jacks youth at seadford baptist church. being a close family friend, this entire thing tore me apart. im his daughters best friend, and heis aswell one of my best friends. All you tlak about is the facts, of which the police think they know. The only ones who really know everything is jack and the girls, and of course God.
any girl could have pulled this entire thing out her but. Jack Duffer is the best man i have ever known, as many times as i spent the night at his house, spent all day there, rode in the car with him, cleaned up the house before mama shelly got home, went shopping with him, played sporrts,and EAT, which we did about 10 times a day. i never once felt uncomfatable with him. hes caring and sweet, has a family that he cares about so muchh, hes not a perv, and he was “busted for screwing teens” get it right buttholle. stop talking trash you hvae down things you regret i know for a fact that he has asked God for forgivness, he doesnot need your judgement, or your approval to be forgiven, he is probbaly a better person then you will ever be. i know him better than you, and most everyone who comments on these things. im tierd of people judging him, everyone feels bad for the girls. yeah well, i do, but i feel worse for jack, even if he is proven innocent his WHOLE life is now ruined, thanks to a teen who went and ran her mouth. he now has to patch up his marriage, fix his family, and find a place he can go and still serve the lord with out being called out as a perv.
Jack would never touch a teen age girl, he has a 16 year old duaghter, Keli, My BEST FRIEND, who thought of him dearly. so think twice about saying stuff, he has his own teen, why would he do that. he is a dad, he would never want something like that to happen to his daughters so why would he do it to someone elses.
and now i am done.
JACKS INNOCENt, by th way.
oh and thanks for posting this on Kelis birthday.
You’re welcome.
I’ve known Pastor Jack personally and his family during his service for our Lord in Hawaii, and he has made a profound impact to our Christian community here and abroad. He personally organized and participated in every church events that bring glory to our Lord Savior Jesus Christ. I have not seen a Pastor that would sacrify all his spare time to improve much needed help sanctuary as he was. Pastor Jack’s tireless efforts in all that he has done brought positive energy and joy to people around him. He organized food drive for the homeless and low income folks, enthusiatically traveled to third world countries to carry out God’s will by sharing the gospels, medical aid and food to poor families; he would gladly empty out the trash without hesitation…. In my heart as a brother in Christ, Pastor Jack is truely a servant of God, and I would sincerely ask you to pray with me to bring comfort and support to Pastor Jack and his family during this trial time. God will bless those who steadfast in faith, and believe that He will exonerate His humble servants..
God bless you…
i totally disagree with who ever anonamous is! i am a youth of seaford and he didnt move to virgina cause he got caught in hawaii (which he didnt) he moved here to take place of danny!!! and if you knew him, then you would know that! he def didnt move here cause he did it with a teen in hawaii. its cause of danny and jack is a great guy! i am totally on kyras side on this! i have done a lot of things with jack and not once have i ever felt uncomfortable around him!!!
My Daughter went to Jacks house often when they lived in Hawaii the kids would have the best time with Jack he was always coming up with new ideas to bring families together. I know that his heart was in a good place every time my daughter spent the night and I never once suspected that there could be something wrong. I invited my niece over and she got very invlolved with helping with youth at University Baptist and they had a few meetings where they were alone together and my niece never indicated that there was anything suspicious. I do know that with how tight our community is in Hawaii if there had ever been anything going on between him and a youth member the entire island would know about it and castrate him instantly it’s something that we don’t tolerate here crimes against kids. I pray for Keli she was my daughters very best and closest friend through elementary school and I remember her blonde curly hair and she was so cute and so sweet I always thought the best of her and her family. People wanted to be like them their home had a lot of love and caring and God was definitely in the forefront of their home. I hope the allegations are false and if not well everyone makes mistakes and everyone deserves to be forgiven
I knew Jack Duffer in Kentucky. He was asked to leave a church in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. I am sure he never put that church on a resume because no one contacted the church. He left Kentucky to go back to his family in Hawaii. His family has known about his pervish ways all along and has enabled him by helping him redefine himself over again. I will not give out specifics about Kentucky out of respect to Shelly and her family both in Virginia and in Iowa. To the upset teens, I am sorry you have been fooled and crushed by his actions. Jack needs help and now he will get it.
Kyra baby i love you so much this guy is a jack ass
Yes i know jack very well and no he isnt a perv or a freak!!!!!
Keli is on of my very best friends and has been since the day she moved here. He is very well known at my school as pastor jack because he ran First Priority club and was very popular. He came to lunch alot and would sit with any group that would let him which was about all of them. While i have never been alone with him i always felt completly comfortable around him. His family has been through enough shit for 54000 lifetimes so just leave him alone. Yes i know you have the freedom of speach but when you begin to not let some one else(his family) live as comfortably as possible that is just rude and unkind.!!! Keli is one of the bravest girls i know she is very kind and very torn apart by this whole ordeal. I think the girls he “had sex with” and your self need to find a cave and hide in it for a very very very long long long long time
I was also one of the youth at Lawrenceburg while Jack was there. I have never forgotten what happened there and I don’t think any of us ever will. I am so sorry that the seaford people can not see that this man really did do all of this and to those of us who knew him in the past this is not a surprise. He really did have the wool pulled over their eyes and as it sounds he also had the folks in HI thinking that he was really something wonderful. I feel for you all. Thank you Iknewjackinky for saying something on here. I am praying for all of you at seaford as I am also praying for all of the ones who were under Jack during his time at Laurenceburg I am sure this has brought back many old feelings for us all. I am also asking God to be with Shelly and her family right now. I am so sorry for what has happened.
Just like I thought, this DID happen before. My question to you folks in HI and KY… WHY didn’t you report him? Why did folks allow him to leave and continue preaching? And why does everyone feel sorry for Shelly? She not only STAYED with him, she allowed it to continue! She should have turned him in! I don’t feel sorry for either one of them. And shame on folks for not reporting him earlier. You could have saved these girls in VA.
There are sexual predators who can develop their personalities to the point where it’s very hard to detect them and the people around them are truly shocked when they find out what was going on. It sounds to me from all of the people that have stopped by here that have known Duffer in the past that he had quite a few people fooled.