Jeffrey A. Pringle, 60, who formerly volunteered with a church youth ministry in Pennsylvania, was just handed down a mandatory life sentence with the possibility of parole after 20 years for raping and committing other sex offenses against two girls. By the way, he is not a drag performer. I just thought that needed to be said in our political climate.

Judge Michael J. Ernest sentenced Pringle Thursday on three counts of child rape and four counts of gross sexual imposition.

via the Times Reporter:

One victim was 12 and 13 years old when the sexual abuse occurred, and the other 16, according to Tuscarawas County Prosecutor Ryan Styer.

He said the crimes were a disturbing and monstrous betrayal of the trust that every adult owes to children.

"With this type of crime, there's a lifetime of consequences, a lifetime of bad memories, and oftentimes a lifetime of processing through what happened," Styer said.

Pringle was in good standing with the church.

A woman who spoke on behalf of the victims said Pringle's offenses crushed her heart. She also turned to his victims and apologized for his actions.

"They will remember this forever," she said. "I just want to know why, Jeff? Everybody respected you. You were in the church. You were in the community, very high up. "

"I don't want anybody to feel bad about me going to prison," Pringle said. "I feel like a failure."

I doubt anyone feels bad for you, dude.

Last year, Pringle pleaded not guilty to the charges of gross sexual imposition and rape with a sexually violent predator specification for the alleged incidents, and he was held without bond.

Pringle said he applauded his victims for reporting the sexual abuse to their mothers.

"If other children would do the same, we wouldn't have as many cases as we have in the state of Ohio," Pringle said. "I did ask God for mercy ... and He has forgiven me," he said.

That's kind of victim-shaming, though. How about if you don't molest children?