Duval County

Ex-Jacksonville pastor accused of child sex crimes denied bond

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Paul Dyal, the former pastor of the Jacksonville Assembly of the Body of Christ Church, has been denied bond and will remain in jail. He is accused of child physical and sexual abuse that happened over decades.

Dyal’s son spoke on his behalf in court Wednesday and said Dyal should be released on bond because of his health while prosecutors argued against it.

STORY: Ex-Jacksonville pastor appears in court on child sex abuse charges

A judge ruled Dyal would not be granted bond.

Investigators say Dyal, along with two other men, Vernon Williamson and Jerome Teschendorf, abused children at the church.

JSO said it has identified and spoken with numerous victims and witnesses and said it believes there are additional suspects, victims and witnesses.

RELATED STORY: ‘You never feel clean’: Woman speaks out about local pastor arrested for sexual battery

If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit the website: https://rainn.org/about-national-sexual-assault-online-hotline.

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