5 October 2023
DULUTH, Minn. — A longtime youth pastor used his church as a “hunting ground,” prosecutors said, “preying on underage girls with no consequences for years.”
Jackson Michael Gatlin, former pastoral assistant at Vineyard Church in Duluth’s Kenwood neighborhood, was charged Tuesday in St. Louis County District Court with sexually assaulting five girls ranging in age from 11 to 16.
He is being held at the St. Louis County Jail without bail pending an arraignment.
Gatlin, now 35, had “unfettered access” to vulnerable youth for 15 years, the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office told the court, owing to the fact that his parents — senior leaders in the church — “minimized and outright denied allegations when brought to their attention.”
“Multiple victims and witnesses described the culture of the church as insular and controlling, with the Gatlins exerting a great deal of influence,” a criminal complaint states. “There was a consistent impression that (Jackson) was immune from consequence because of his status as the pastor’s child.”
The 10 felony charges are the result of an eight-month investigation by the Duluth Police Department. Authorities said the abuse occurred at various locations, including Gatlin’s home and while he was giving rides to the victims.
Gatlin was suspended by the church in December and fired in February after refusing to cooperate with an investigation, a special committee previously disclosed.
Senior Pastor Michael Gatlin resigned a short time later, indicating he also would not cooperate, while Brenda Gatlin, who served as corporate vice president for the title of super regional leader for Vineyard USA, was terminated by Duluth Vineyard and resigned from a joint role with Vineyard USA after reportedly attempting to exert influence over the investigation.
“To the victims reporting crimes against Jackson, our hearts are broken by your pain,” the special committee said in a message to members Tuesday. “We pray that you experience comfort, healing and peace. We thank you for the courage it took to tell your story and we hope that the law enforcement process helps bring healing for you.”
Documents outline years of abuse
According to court documents, a senior church leader was first approached by a former member of Jackson Gatlin’s youth group in October 2022, reporting that he had been having sex with girls approximately 10 years prior.
The report was referred to fellow leaders several days later and, in November, an organization called Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) was contacted to begin an investigation.
The church committee said it first notified police in November, but they were informed little could be done without victims’ names. Church members were first notified in late January, leading to victims coming forward on social media and a second report being made to police.
According to the complaint, one victim said she was 16 years old and new to town when Gatlin, then 19, invited her over to his house to watch football. He assured her that his parents would be home, she reported, but they were not there when she arrived.
The woman told police that Gatlin brought her to his bedroom and locked the door, taking her phone and placing it out of reach on a high shelf. She said he then pushed her onto a futon and pulled down her pants, using his hand to sexually assault her as she struggled and told him to stop.
The complaint states the victim was only able to escape after asking for something to drink, running barefoot down the street and hiding. When she told her mother what happened, the mother called Brenda Gatlin, who allegedly replied: “We know your daughter has issues,” before hanging up the phone.
Another woman told police she was also 16 when Gatlin, then 20, picked her up from school and brought her to his house after they had spent some time “flirting” in text messages. The complaint says she was taken to Gatlin’s parents’ bedroom, where he used shoelaces to tie her to the bed.
She told investigators that Gatlin then pulled down her pants and attempted to rape her, ignoring her pleas to stop. She described “intense pain” and reported that she eventually convinced Gatlin to stop and drive her home.
The complaint states that another victim recalled a series of incidents when she was 15-16 and Gatlin was in his early 20s. She said the youth pastor would give her rides home after their group meetings and would “make out” with her, also fondling her breasts and buttocks.
A fourth woman reported that Gatlin’s misconduct toward her started as early as her middle school years. The complaint says she recalled a trip to the Twin Cities during which Gatlin, who is roughly a decade older, took her to the back of a bus, reaching into her shorts before taking her hand and placing it on his genitals.
The complaint adds that he would call and text the victim late at night, saying she could not tell anyone as they “would both be in trouble” and that it would be “her fault” if Gatlin went to jail.
The girl’s mother eventually found the messages and brought them to the attention of Michael and Brenda Gatlin. Court documents say the Gatlins dismissed her concerns, calling the mother “overprotective.”
The fifth victim reportedly recalled that Gatlin would help her sneak into the basement of his parents’ home and that they engaged in sexual intercourse on several occasions. She was 14-15 years old at the time, while Gatlin was approximately seven years her senior.
The complaint says she eventually “broke up” with Gatlin after looking through his phone and seeing that he was flirting with other girls in the youth group.
Authorities said other interviews established that Gatlin was given “special privileges” at the church as a result of being the pastors’ son, allowing him to forgo standard vetting procedures and being placed in a lead position.
He reportedly was caught on several occasions in private with at least one of the victims — a violation of church rules — and another former youth pastor recalled that Gatlin was once reassigned from the senior high group to the junior high group as a result of “inappropriate behavior.”
Charges carry major prison time
Gatlin is charged in five separate cases with 10 felonies, ranging from first- to fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. He could be looking at significant prison time, with a single first-degree conviction carrying 12 years under state sentencing guidelines.
While the age of consent in Minnesota is generally 16, it is raised to 18 when it involves a position of authority. Several of the counts also allege that Gatlin caused injury and used force or coercion to carry out the assaults.
Records show Gatlin was booked at the jail at 12:23 p.m., less than three hours after Senior Judge Mark Starr signed a warrant for his arrest. A court date was not immediately listed, but the arraignment likely will occur Wednesday morning.
St. Louis County prosecutor Michael Hagley filed a request for bail to be set at $300,000 without conditions or $50,000 with conditions including electronic monitoring and no unsupervised contact with minors.
Hagley said his office has received information indicating Gatlin’s parents are no longer residing in Minnesota, and the church said they resigned their memberships in June.
Jackson Gatlin was once employed as a graphic designer for the Duluth Media Group, which includes the News Tribune.
Established in 1990 as a contemporary church with few traditional frills, Vineyard quickly grew into one of the largest congregations in Duluth, opening a 36,000-square-foot facility at 1533 W. Arrowhead Road in 2009. In 2018, the church also began holding weekly services in a leased sanctuary at Duluth Congregational Church, 3833 E. Superior St.
The special committee has been providing regular updates on its website and said staff in August underwent mandated reporter training.
“We are sorry that the Duluth Vineyard was the kind of place where this kind of behavior could happen,” leaders wrote in Tuesday’s message. “We apologize to the reporting victims and the Twin Ports community. We are working to develop a culture that is more resistant to abuse and toxicity.
“Sexual abuse can happen anywhere. This is not an excuse for it happening in the context of the Duluth Vineyard community. Rather, this is a call for change in our broader society as well.”
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