JACKSON — A former Sunday school teacher convicted of sexual battery has been denied a new trial by the state Court of Appeals.
Benjamin Shelton was convicted in Lowndes County in 2012. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison with five years suspended.
Prosecutors say Shelton was arrested in 2009 after allegedly sexually abusing a 17-year-old boy at a church camp while Shelton was a youth leader. The incident occurred in 2008 at a church retreat.
Shelton argued on appeal that the evidence didn’t support a conviction.
The Appeals Court on Tuesday said the victim testified at the trial about Shelton forcing him to perform oral sex. The court said that testimony was not discredited or contradicted. The court said the testimony was sufficient to support Shelton’s conviction.
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