NORWICH – The Chenango County Courthouse was crowded on Monday when Judge W. Howard Sullivan sentenced Lewis J. Lee to a total of 9 and 1/3 to 28 years in jail. The pastor admitted at an earlier court appearance to having a sexual relationship with Elizabeth Thomsen, a 15-year-old member of his congregation,
Last March, Lee and the girl disappeared for a month after an order of protection was issued on behalf of the teen. After an appearance on “America’s Most Wanted,” a tip led police to Maryland, where Lee and the girl were located.
Marsha Thomsen, Elizabeth’s mother, read a letter to the court in which she asked for the maximum sentence.
“If you do not keep him locked up for a long time, another girl will suffer and another family will experience hell on earth,” Marsha Thomsen said.
Descriptions of the relationship between Lee and the girl are varied, but Lee reportedly gave Elizabeth an engagement ring two years before the abduction, and during their time together performed a mock wedding ceremony between himself and the Sherburne teen.
“I loved him like a dad,” the victim’s mother said, “and everything he said was a lie.”
According to the girl’s mother, Lee had targeted the underage girl shortly after taking his position at the Christian Baptist Church, and had been abusing his power as her pastor ever since.
“This is the most despicable crime I have ever seen,” said District Attorney Joseph McBride, citing the defendant’s use of a position of power to manipulate the teenage girl. McBride said if given the chance, he thought Lee would commit these crimes again. He reminded the court that Lee had been released on bail at the time of the March abduction.
“We need to ensure that he does not victimize anyone else,” McBride said.
Public Defender Diane DiStefano disagreed with McBride’s assessment, pointing out that Lee had never had any trouble with the law before he met Thomsen.
“This was obviously a gross error of judgment,” she said. DiStefano focused on the fact that this was a long-term relationship, saying, “We can judge his actions, but we cannot judge what was in his heart.”
Lee was asked if he would like to make a statement before the sentence was pronounced. He told the court that he was truly sorry.
“I failed God,” he said, “but that is between God and myself.” Lee wanted to ask the church for forgiveness. He apologized to the Thomsen family and to his own family for the pain he had caused.
His speech seemed to have little impact on the judge’s sentence. After everyone had spoken, Sullivan gave his sympathies to the Thomsen family before addressing Lee.
“I cannot disagree with anything you said,” Sullivan told Marsha Thomsen. “Mr. Lee, what you did was despicable and disgusting.”
The judge sentenced Lee to 1 and 1/3 to 4 years for each of the seven counts of rape. The sentences are to be served consecutively, for a total of 9 and 1/3 to 28 years. The sentence also includes an order of protection that prevents Lee from having any contact with the teenager. He must also register as a sex offender.
The victim’s mother admitted that she was initially disappointed with the ruling. “I wanted him to get more time,” she said, but after the District Attorney explained that the sentences would be served consecutively, she felt a little better. She remains hopeful that her family will be able to find closure once this is over.
“After the federal sentencing, Elizabeth might be able to put this all behind her,” she said. Lee is scheduled to be sentenced on the federal charges in late September.