Paul Dyal: Former Jacksonville pastor, who sexually abused children for over 30 years, denied bond for third time
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA: A former church pastor of Jacksonville Assembly of the Body of Christ Church, Paul Dyal, 78, who is accused of child physical and sexual abuse and charged with two counts of capital sexual battery, has been denied for a pretrial release for the third time. Dyal's defense attorney, Mitchell Stone, filed a motion in July asking Circuit Court Judge Tatiana R Salvador to reconsider releasing the accused ahead of his trial due to health issues.
Dyal and two other men, Jerome Teschendorf, 68, and Vernon Williamson, 85, were arrested in March after an investigation revealed “both long-term sexual and physical abuse of minors in the church spanning a period of over 30 years,” as per the news release by Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, reports WOKV. In addition to the arrest, a search warrant was served at the church. Cynthia Crawford, representing some of the victims in this case, said that Williamson and Teschendorf used to be in Jacksonville and were working at a sister church in Oklahoma. As per the report, the US Marshals, the State Attorney’s Office and the Florida Department of Children and Families also assisted the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in the investigation.
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However, Dyal, accused of more than 30 years of sexual abuse, pleaded not guilty in April. He had a bond hearing that same month which got denied. Stone said at that time, as per News4JAX, that the previous counsel did not have all the required information and the attorney believed that Dyal deserved another consideration. “He has a particular prescription for high cholesterol. He walks with a cane, but the longer distance he has to walk, the harder things are. He has asked for a wheelchair, and that has not been honored,” Stone reportedly said in court. In reply, Judge Salvador said, “We will have a hearing to reconsider pretrial release, but I’m not doing a full-blown do-over.” July 19 was set to be a second bond hearing for Dyal, but the judge said she would set a date for the second bond hearing at the next court hearing on July 25.
As per News4JAX, in August, attorneys tried to convince the judge to set bond and conditions for his release. A doctor, who reviewed Dyal’s records that showed he had a open heart surgery in 2016 and a leaky heart valve, told the judge that his “heart disease is multi-fold.” However, Salvador, in her ruling on September 12, said that Dyal’s medical records “indicate that he has been treated for his conditions and is stable,” Yahoo! reports.
If you or anyone you know suspects child abuse, you are urged to immediately call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential and the hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.