Creation Fest co-founder sentenced in child sexual abuse case

Harry Thomas, who's 75 years old, was the pastor of Come Alive New Testament Church in Medford and a co-founder of the Creation Festival, billed as the country's largest Christian music festival. He failed in a bid to withdraw his guilty plea in sexual assaults and other crimes involving five minors and was sentenced on Friday.

As part of a plea agreement earlier this year, Thomas acknowledged sexually assaulting a 9-year-old in 2005, having sexual contact with three girls ages 7 to 9 in 2000 and 2010 and exposing himself to a girl between 2008 and 2010.

Relatives of the victims were in court during sentencing, and in testimony two of them described Thomas as a "ravenous wolf" and a "hypocrite" who professed to be a man of God while victimizing children. Burlington County assistant prosecutor Stephen Eife called Thomas "a devil in disguise."

Superior Court Judge Jeanne Covert said she recognized that Thomas might die in prison but the 18-year sentence was appropriate given the crimes and the risk of Thomas reoffending.