Livingston Church of God

Former minister sentenced on rape, sexual assault charges
By The Associated Press - 04/07/08
LIVINGSTON (AP) — A former Livingston minister has been sentenced to 45 years with the Montana Department of Corrections for the sexual assault and rape of two young sisters.In December, a jury convicted Terrence Passmore, 49, of four felony sex crimes — one charge of sexual intercourse without consent and three charges of sexual assault — for events that happened in 1998 when the sisters were 12 and 14. At the time of the assaults, the sisters and their family attended the Livingston Church of God, where Passmore was a pastor.On Friday, District Judge E. Wayne Phillips sentenced Passmore to 35 years with five years suspended for sexual intercourse without consent; and 10 years with five suspended for each count of sexual assault.Since the sentences will run concurrently, the most time Passmore will spend behind bars is 30 years, the Livingston Enterprise reported. He could be eligible for parole after seven and a half years if he completes sex-offender treatment.The judge also required Passmore to pay for counseling for each of the two victims.Jim Simonich of the Montana Department of Corrections, who conducted the pre-sentence investigation, had suggested 50 years in prison on each count.
The victims and their family addressed the judge before sentencing, asking him to send Passmore to prison for his actions, which they said had devastated the family.Defense attorney Chuck Watson argued that two psychological evaluations had found Passmore would be a good candidate for treatment without incarceration. But the judge said he believed Passmore was still in denial about committing the crimes, which would make it difficult to treat him successfully outside prison walls.Passmore and his lawyers maintained his innocence, and his wife, Erica, pleaded with the judge to release her husband until a hearing can be held on his appeal. She said she needed her husband’s help getting the family’s affairs in order, especially since they had filed for bankruptcy.The judge denied her request.Passmore, a native of South Africa who now lives in Virginia, has four young children. He was operating a computer business prior to the trial in December.