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District Court Judge Christopher Polking sentenced former Christian missionary Jordan Webb to 25 years in prison on Friday, June 16, 2023. Webb was handed the sentence for s*xually assaulting a preschool student. The Dead State reported that the abuse was found after the young victim tested positive for g**orrhea. The former Christian missionary was convicted of several charges including assault and child endangerment.
Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of child abuse and s*xual assault. Discretion is advised.
Jordan Webb was initially arrested on the allegations in April 2022. A year later in April 2023, a Webster County jury found Webb guilty of one count of s*xual abuse with persons under the age of 12 in the second degree, one count of incest and one count of child endangerment, according to Law&Crime
Prior to the incident, he was best known for his work with Harvest Baptist Church. His responsibilities with the Church included a long-term project in which he spread Christian beliefs around St Lucia, a country in the Caribbean. The Church pastor, Marvin Smith IV, told authorities that Webb had always been an upstanding member of the community.
The discovery of the allegations against Jordan Webb
According to Iowa authorities, 31-year-old Jordan Webb was a well-known missionary from Fort Dodge, near the Des Moines River. In 2022, both he and his female pre-school-aged victim tested positive for an STD. This led to suspicions among authorities. As a result, the young female victim was removed from the custody of her guardian during the course of the investigation.
After a police report was filed, officers executed a search warrant on an address on 225th Street in Webster County. The property was owned by the Harvest Baptist Church and functioned as Harvest Baptist Bible College.
During the investigation, officials discovered that Jordan Webb had also been seeking a second passport. This led authorities to believe that he may have been planning further illicit activities.
During the trial, the prosecution argued that it could not be a coincidence that both Jordan Webb and the young child contracted the STD around the same time. Webb's defense claimed that the disease may have been transmitted by other, legal means.
The prosecution team, which was led by Assistant Webster County Attorney Bailey Taylor, argued against this claim. They said that while it may be possible but it wasn't reasonable. They added:
"If this is so possible, why aren’t we seeing it more?”
Bailey Taylor later added that looking at the nature of the crimes, the prosecution believes that the maximum sentence isn't even "close to being enough" for Webb. The attorney added that Webb had committed a lot of harm and the most horrific offense when he committed the act.
Taylor's statement continued that they were glad that the child was young and could potentially forget this time in her life. The attorney noted that they hoped that the victim could move forward and have no memory of the events.
Despite the conviction, Jordan Webb has continued to maintain his innocence. Webb's legal team expressed that he plans to appeal his sentence. Officials have not confirmed whether the former missionary may have other victims.
