Former Duluth Vineyard Youth Pastor Accused Of Criminal Sexual Conduct

DULUTH, Minn. — A now-former youth pastor at The Vineyard Church in Duluth is charged with 10 counts of criminal sexual conduct involving five girls.

Jackson Gatlin’s mugshot

The criminal complaints against 35-year-old Jackson Gatlin say the victims were 12 to 16 years old at the time of the offenses.

The complaints say Gatlin was between the ages of 19 and 22 at the time of the alleged incidents between 2007 and 2010.

Gatlin’s parents were the pastors at the church at the time. His parents resigned earlier this year after the allegations against their son were made public.

The complaint says that parents of two different girls told Gatlin’s parents about their daughters’ accusations against their son. The complaint says that in both cases Gatlin’s parents dismissed the accusations.

Screenshot from earlier this year on duluthvineyard.org

The complaint says victims and witnesses describe the culture of the church as “insular and controlling.”

The complaint says there was a consistent impression that Gatlin was immune from consequences because of his status as the pastors’ child.

If Gatlin is convicted, the maximum sentence per count ranges from 10 to 30 years in prison.

“We are sorry that the Duluth Vineyard was the kind of place where this kind of behavior could happen. We apologize to the reporting victims and the Twin Ports community. We are working to develop a culture that is more resistant to abuse and toxicity. Sexual abuse can happen anywhere. This is not an excuse for it happening in the context of the Duluth Vineyard community. Rather, this is a call for change in our broader society as well,” the Vineyard said in a statement Tuesday.

Click here for the Vineyard’s full statement on the charges (scroll down).

Click here for the Vineyard’s timeline of events up until Oct. 3.