Jamaican televangelist Paul Lewis sentenced to 14 years in US prison for child sex abuse
Key Points(5)
- In 2009, popular televangelist Paul Lewis walked free from the Savanna-la-Mar courthouse in Westmoreland after being found not guilty of carnal abuse.
- Today, he is languishing in prison in the United States (US), convicted of a similar offence.
- The 63-year-old Lewis, a Jamaican who came to fame when his television ministry exploded in the US in the early 2000s, making him a household name, was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Monday by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Naiburg.
- Lewis, who resided at an East New York, Brooklyn address, was previously found guilty in a Brooklyn Court on September 24, 2026, following a jury trial, where he was convicted of repeatedly sexually abusing a child, whose family were members of his Brooklyn church.
- “Rape results in trauma that lasts a lifetime, and we will never stop seeking justice for those who have been sexually violated,” said District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, in referencing the sentencing.
A Jamaican televangelist who was acquitted of carnal abuse charges in Westmoreland more than a decade ago has been sentenced to 14 years in prison in the United States after being convicted of sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl.
Paul Lewis, 63, founder and pastor of Messengers for Christ World Healing Center, was sentenced on Monday by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Naiburg. He will also be required to serve 10 years of post-release supervision.
Lewis was convicted on Sept. 24, 2026, following a jury trial, of first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child. The victim and her family were members of his Brooklyn congregation.
According to evidence presented at trial, between Sept. 3 and Dec. 23, 2014, Lewis repeatedly picked up the girl from her home in his vehicle under the pretext of taking her to get food. He then sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions.
The assaults occurred in his vehicle near 1380 Broadway in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and at another location, where he took the child to a brownstone, removed her clothing and sexually assaulted her.
On Feb. 26, 2024, the victim went to the 81st Precinct police station and reported the abuse. Lewis was subsequently arrested and charged following an investigation.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced the sentence on Oct. 26, saying the conviction held Lewis accountable for the crimes committed against the child.
“Rape results in trauma that lasts a lifetime, and we will never stop seeking justice for those who have been sexually violated,” Gonzalez said.
“With today's sentence, the defendant has been held accountable for this deplorable crime, affording the victim a measure of closure for the horror inflicted upon her as a child,” he added.
Lewis, who became a prominent televangelist in the United States in the early 2000s, previously faced sexual abuse charges in Jamaica.
In June 2011, he was found not guilty in the Savanna-la-Mar Resident Magistrate's Court in Westmoreland, where he had faced one count of carnal abuse and two counts of indecent assault involving two teenage girls.
The allegations stemmed from an incident in 2009, when Lewis was a guest preacher at a religious tent in Little London, Westmoreland.
It was alleged that he befriended a 15-year-old girl after meeting her at one of his services and subsequently exchanged telephone numbers with her.
During a later meeting, Lewis reportedly invited the teenager to accompany him on a trip to Clarendon. She accepted the invitation and brought along a 14-year-old female friend.
Prosecutors alleged that, on their return to Westmoreland, Lewis took the girls to a hotel in Negril, where he spent the night with them and engaged in sexual activity. A police report was subsequently filed, leading to his arrest and charges.
Lewis, who resided in East New York, Brooklyn, founded Messengers for Christ World Healing Center, which also has branches in Jamaica, Trinidad and Germany.
