Judge sentences ex-pastor to 3 years
By Marty Roney
PRATTVILLE --A former Assembly of God minister was sentenced to three years in prison Tuesday for the sexual abuse of his daughter.
Ronald Gene Thrower, 52, of Prattville was sentenced by Autauga County Circuit Judge Sibley Reynolds. Thrower no longer has a license to pastor as an Assembly of God minister, court records show.
He was indicted in 2002 on 10 counts of sexual abuse and two counts of sodomy. Thrower pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual abuse in the middle of his trial in May. Reynolds gave him a 10-year sentence, split to serve three in prison.
District Attorney Randall Houston called the sentence "the best we could get in this situation." After serving the prison time, Thrower will be on five years supervised probation, court records show.
"If the judge had given a straight 10-year sentence, Thrower could be out of prison in a year or 18 months," Houston said. "Split sentences are not supposed to be brought up for review for parole. So we know he will be spending three years, day for day. I think Judge Reynolds was very astute in handing down this sentence."
Thrower pleaded guilty to abusing his daughter, Lauren Tierce, while she was growing up. Tierce, now 21, didn't attend the sentencing because she's pregnant and her due date is close, said Jennifer Jordan, the assistant district attorney who prosecuted the case.
Teresa Frost, Tierce's aunt, spoke on her behalf.
"She forgives you," Frost told Thrower. "She couldn't be here, but she wanted me to tell you she forgives you. She doesn't want the family to think we hate them or have hard feelings for them."
Before being sentenced Thrower told the court he never abused his daughter, that he took the plea agreement to save the family the "harassment" of the trial continuing.
