Black Jesus gets 20 years in jail

STEVEN Tari, commonly referred  to as Black Jesus and founder of the culture ministry was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment last Friday.
He looked confused as Justice David Cannings read him his sentence.
Tari was charged with four out of six counts of aggravated rape.
The victims were “flower girls” in the ministry and were aged between 15 and 17 at the time of the offences.
Cannings mentioned in his sentence that in each case the victims were induced to have sex with him.
Tari had abused his position of trust and authority by telling them that they needed to have sex with him in order for them to go to heaven.
The court found that there was no apparent consent given by any of the victims.
“The offender believed that he did not do anything wrong and believed that each victim consented but his state of mind did not provide him with a defence.
“He is not guilty of counts one and two.
“He is guilty of counts three and four and he is given four and half years each and for counts five and six, five and a half years each.”
The total sentence is 52 years.
The sentence should be served cumulatively as there were four different victims and four separate incidents.
“However, under the total principle, the court should avoid imposing a crushing sentence, thus the total sentence was reduced to 20 years imprisonment,” Cannings said.
No part of the sentence was suspended as there was no evidence given in the pre-sentence report of any reconciliation with the victims or their families.
Tari had earlier said in court that he was just following the doctrine of his ministry.