Former Chilliwack pastor sentenced to jail on child pornography charges
Johannes "John" Vermeer, 61, resigned from Chilliwack's Main Street Church in 2018 when he was charged
A former pastor who was found guilty of two counts of possessing child pornography and two counts of accessing child pornography has been sentenced to 14 months in jail by the Chilliwack provincial court.
Johannes "John" Vermeer has also been handed 18 months of probation and placed on the sexual offender registry for 10 years.
Vermeer, 61, resigned from his role as executive pastor of Chilliwack's Main Street Church in 2018 after he was arrested and charged.
At the time, Main Street Church lead pastor Shawn Vandop said it was church staff who tipped off police after a computer contractor flagged something on the church's computer.
Vandop said Vermeer's role at the church did not involve working with children; rather, he was a behind-the-scenes guy who handled administrative business.
According to court documents, Vermeer committed the offences in 2010 and 2015.