“Devil in disguise”: Retired Orange Park pastor who pled guilty to sexual battery of child sentenced

A retired Orange Park pastor pled guilty to sexual battery of a child was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

William Randall, 76, who was arrested in 2018, had preached for over 20 years at St. Simon Baptist Church.

Natasha Amison says she trusted Randall, but later discovered he abused her daughter when she was just 12 years old. “For you to be a man of God, I trusted you. But you are a devil in disguise,” she told him in court.

Her daughter spoke in court, describing how Randall destroyed her childhood. “You used me and manipulated me for your own evil,” she said as she addressed Randall inside the courtroom.

Amison spoke to Action News Jax moments after Randall was taken into custody. “She was a child, he took her innocence. I can’t forgive him for that. I can’t. I let it go and leave it to God,” she said. But the family says after Wednesday’s hearing, they can close this chapter for good. “We can move on now,” Amison said. “[We can] let [my daughter] enjoy life and see how life is really supposed to be.”

Randall’s victim told the Orange Park Police Department that she met Randall when she started attending the church in 2007. She said Randall molested her and made her perform sexual acts at the church.

The arrest warrant stated Randall told the victim to not tell anyone about their interactions because it would “ruin both of their lives.”

Randall would give either give the child money or take her to lunch, the document stated. The victim told authorities she was too afraid to tell her mother for fear of being disciplined.

The victim said the sexual relations continued until Sept. 18, 2015.

Clay County detectives interviewed Randall Oct. 15, 2015, and he denied accusations, saying he never had sexual relations with the victim.

Cox Media Group