Kilbourn sentenced on
federal,
state charges
By Michael Wacht
TAMPA — Lawrence Kilbourn, a former
Florida Conference United Methodist elder, was sentenced last month on
both federal child pornography and state sexual battery charges.
Kilbourn is the founding pastor of
Faith United Methodist Church in Bradenton and most recently served at
Tampa’s Forest Hills United Methodist Church. He was arrested by
federal authorities Oct. 21, 1999 on one count of receiving child
pornography via his computer, after voluntarily turning himself in to
police. Kilbourn surrendered his credentials as an ordained elder Oct.
15, 1999.
A United States District judge here
sentenced Kilbourn Sept. 9 to 87 months in federal prison. The
sentence is the least he could receive under federal guidelines,
according to an article in the Bradenton Herald. Kilbourn pleaded
guilty in February to the federal charge of receiving child
pornography by computer.
He was sentenced Sept. 28 to 10 years
in state prison and five years of probation after entering a
no-contest plea to attempted sexual battery. The charge was based on
accusations that he fondled a girl in Bradenton in 1994.
Kilbourn will serve the two sentences
consecutively and be transferred to state prison after he completes
the federal sentence. He will serve the probation after his release
from prison.
The Rev. Doug Pareti, current pastor at
Bradenton’s Faith United Methodist Church, said the church family is
ready to put the situation behind it and focus on the church’s
ministries.
"We continue to be in prayer for
all involved and look forward to both a time of healing and closure to
events that have occurred during the past year," he said.
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