'I trusted the pastors': Mother of victim speaks out after church leader sentenced

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - A former church leader has been sentenced to 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole for child sex crimes, marking the end of a legal battle in Cherokee County that the victim's mother says has left her family changed forever.

The backstory:

Marcus Kendall Turner, who Cherokee County prosecutors said previously served in a leadership role at Worship with Wonders church in Cobb County, was sentenced last week in Cherokee County. 

What they're saying:

Following the sentencing, the mother of the victim sat down to share her story, choosing to remain anonymous to protect the identity of her minor son.

RELATED: Former Cobb County church leader pleads guilty to child sex crimes

According to prosecutors, the abuse began in 2023 after Turner invited the middle school boy to join a new church youth group.

Prosecutors said Turner spent time alone with the boy for months. The mother said she learned of the abuse directly from church leadership.

"They sat me down, and they said Marcus Turner has something that he would like to tell you, and that's when he told me that he sexually abused my son," the mother said.

The family joined Worship with Wonders in 2020.

The mother noted that her son was initially eager to participate in the community, stating, "He loved the church, he made friends in the church, he was hungry to learn about the bible and God." 

"I trusted him, I trusted the pastors. I trusted the pastors as the reason why I trusted him because he was a leader in the church," she said. "I felt sorry for my son. I was devastated because, obviously, all of my life I have protected my kids from this, and I just never thought it would happen in the church of all places."

The mother described a calculated grooming process where Turner used spiritual guidance as a way to get close to her son. "What I gather there was a grooming process from those things that my son, you know, getting close to him like he wants to help spiritually," she said.

During the sentencing hearing last week, the mother chose to address Turner directly.

"I offered forgiveness to him. I did tell him he messed with the wrong mom, and I just told him that I hope during his sentence he can truly repent and ask god to forgive him for what he's done," she said.

While the 25-year sentence provides a legal resolution, she noted that the emotional recovery is ongoing. She described her son as currently being focused on school, though he remains quiet and hesitant to return to a church environment.

"He is quiet, focused on school, he does lack trust in people, he is a little hesitant to go back to church, but he does want to continue his spiritual journey," she said. "It's been 2.5 years of just highs and lows and dealing with the prosecutors and dealing with courts and all of those things, so it was a sense of closure for my family and me to a certain degree, but I know we will live with this for a long time."

The other side:

In a statement released tonight, Worship with Wonders said they remained silent during the prosecution to allow the justice system to work.

"Out of respect for the courts, we have been silent during the criminal prosecution of Marcus Kendall Turner, a former member of the church, to allow justice to work its course. We are satisfied with the sentencing and that closure has been brought to all of this," the statement read.

The church said Turner worked in a part-time administration role from 2017 to 2021.