Youth Pastor Accused of Manipulating Manchester Teen

A 32-year-old East Longmeadow man is accused of manipulating a Manchester teen, reports the Hartford Courant.

Jimmy Chang, a youth pastor, was charged with 12 counts of second-degree sexual assault and was held on $350,000 bond. He is due to appear in Manchester Superior Court on Sept. 11.

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Chang persuaded the 17-year-old girl to sneak out of her Manchester house and convinced her that she did not have to save her virginity. State law prohibits sexual relations between a person over age 20 who “stands in a position of power, authority or supervision” over a person under age 18.

The girl was a member of a Christian youth group based in Agawam, Mass., and Chang was a leader of the group. He was also a tutor with a Longmeadow-based company.

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