Norse Pagan church leader James Yerdon charged with child sexual abuse in New York
Record class
Core record
Evidence status
Charged
Authority role
Norse Pagan church leader, community leader with access to children through the church
Organization
unnamed Norse Pagan church in the Watertown area
Spiritual nexus
The Albany County district attorney said Yerdon gained access to children through his church-leader role, and authorities identified him as a leader connected to a Norse Pagan church. The current public record establishes an alleged authority-and-access nexus, not a claim that Ásatrú or Norse doctrine directed the charged conduct.
- Other spiritual authority or belief
Evidence structure
Proceedings
2026-02-02 · indictment and not-guilty plea
Albany County Court, New York. Yerdon pleaded not guilty to predatory sexual assault against a child, second-degree sexual abuse and two child-endangerment counts. The state charges remain allegations.
2026-05-07 · separate federal guilty plea
U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York. In a separate proceeding, Yerdon pleaded guilty to receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material; sentencing was scheduled for September 2026.
Documented coercion mechanisms
- religious leadership access
- community trust
- alleged grooming and interstate or intrastate transport
Primary record
Sources
- regional court reporting indictment report Times Union, 'Jefferson County church leader charged with abusing two boys in Albany County' (Feb. 2, 2026; updated Feb. 3, 2026).
Contemporaneous court reporting records the indictment, not-guilty plea, alleged dates and counts, and direct statements from the district attorney and state police that Yerdon gained access through a church-leader role connected to a Norse Pagan organization.
- prosecuting authority separate federal disposition U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of New York, 'Jefferson County Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography' (May 27, 2026).
The prosecuting authority records Yerdon's separate May 7 federal guilty plea, the material recovered and the September 2026 sentencing date. It does not identify a religious nexus or adjudicate the pending state sexual-abuse charges.