PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The 61-year-old pastor of the church that holds services at The Met in North Philadelphia will spend at least 5 years in prison after being sentenced for sexually assaulting three children. Former Philadelphia Mayor Wilson Goode testified on the pastor’s behalf at his sentencing.
Holy Ghost Headquarters pastor Mark Hatcher Sr. showed no emotion as the judge handed down a sentence of between 5 years, 3 ½ months and 12 years in prison.
“I think it gives the victims justice that they waited for for a very long time. It will hold this defendant responsible and keep him away from other children,” said prosecutor Caroline Goldstein.
The judge said he weighed the good Hatcher has done, adding “heavier weight goes to the crimes he’s committed.”
Hatcher was convicted in Montgomery County in February of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old boy in 2007 and 2008, and a 15-year-old girl in 2000 in his Blue Bell home. He was also convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl in an abandoned home owned by his church in Philadelphia.
Prosecutor Caroline Goldstein says those crimes overshadow the good he’s done as pastor of his church.
“He used that position — where he did help some people — he used it to manipulate people, to take advantage of families and children and to abuse his power, and that greatly outweighs any good deeds he's done,” she said.
Congregants from Hatcher’s church packed the Montgomery County courtroom. Goode was one of three witnesses who testified on Hatcher’s behalf at sentencing. The former mayor says Hatcher “brought fundamental changes to Philadelphia” and he never heard anything negative about him in 30 years.
On cross examination, Goldstein asked Goode if he still supports Hatcher despite a jury finding him guilty of sexually assaulting and raping children. Goode says, while he still supports Hatcher, “it’s very challenging and difficult to know the things he has done.”
Hatcher told the court he still stands in his innocence and he hopes God will heal the three people who a jury convicted him of sexually assaulting.