Sex abuse victims and their families celebrated a life sentence handed down Tuesday against a South Florida youth pastor.
A federal judge handed down the stiffest penalty he could for 51-year-old Jeffrey London, who was convicted in June of persuading and enticing a minor by cellphone to engage in sexual activity.
"If they would have given him 15 to life I would be happy, because simply justice is served," victim Jonathan Barrett said. "There's truth behind my story."
It's NBC 6 policy not to identify victims of sex abuse but Barrett and David Newman asked that they be identified.
They said they're no longer ashamed and embarrassed of a life in hell bestowed by a pastor.
"The only thing I've lost is trust in some people," Newman said. "He took my manhood, my life, took my spirituality."
The whole nightmarish saga started with Newman when he was 7. His mother, unable to care for him, gave Newman to London to care for him.
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London was the boys' youth pastor at a Fort Lauderdale church and the dean of their school, Eagle Academy in Lauderdale Lakes. The boys lived with London at his home which he called "Lond's Hotel."
For years, the boys were abused by someone they called a father figure and were given money and games in exchange for sex acts.
London was tried and acquitted on 27 counts in state court last year. Newman was the only victim to come forward at the time.
"That first trial I was in he was not guilty, now I feel like no one believe me, felt so down and now my friends came up, stepped up and now look, he's guilty," Newman said.
Newman, who's now 21, said he often questioned his faith in God, but now moves forward with life with his wife and two children. Barrett, also in his 20s, said he has life mapped out and is leaving the horrific one behind.
Both men can sum up the awful life they knew in a few words that Barrett said to his abuser in court.
"You didn't break me. Never have and never will," he said.
