Pastor threatened victim with evil spirits

TORONTO, March 27 (UPI) -- A Toronto pastor has begun serving a four-year prison term for forcing his attentions on a parishioner and demanding she bear his child.

The Rev. Frank Seeko Lawrence, 59, a father of 11, threatened his victim with evil spirits, trial testimony showed. Lawrence was acquitted of threatening to kill the woman and of assaulting another woman, who also bore him a child.

Superior Justice Edward Belobaba imposed the sentence Wednesday, accusing Lawrence of grossly abusing "his position of trust as her pastor."

The Toronto Star reported the victim's mother brought her to Lawrence for spiritual healing when she was just 17. The sexual assaults began in 2003 shortly after the woman began renting a room from Lawrence.

The woman, 29, said she was threatened by Lawrence after applying for support in Family Court in September 2005, about a year after her daughter was born, the Toronto Sun reported.

Defense attorney Anthony Robbins said he would try to get Lawrence released on bail pending appeal, the Star said.