On Tuesday, June 30, John Michael Ward, former pastor of Bellview Baptist church in Westlake, pled guilty in the 14th Judicial District Court before the Honorable Judge Robert Wyatt.
Ward pled guilty to one count of second degree rape, and was sentenced to 40 years department of corrections, one count of sexual battery of a victim under thirteen and was sentenced to 60 years
department of corrections, and another count of sexual battery of a victim under thirteen and was sentenced to 60 years as well. All charges were ordered to run concurrent to each other along
with his federal sentence.