Ex-Church Youth Leader Guilty of Child Rapes
A former church youth leader and YMCA swim coach who used his jobs to befriend young boys pleaded guilty in what prosecutors called the biggest child sex-abuse case in Massachusetts history.
Christopher Reardon, 29, had faced 130 counts involving 29 children. He hung his head and responded “guilty” to 75 charges during a five-hour hearing in Salem that included graphic details of the allegations.
He could get up to life in prison at his Aug. 17 sentencing.
While he responded guilty to 75 accusations, the court recorded guilty pleas on eight charges of rape of a child, each of which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
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