The suspect, formerly from Philadelphia, was residing in Souderton for months, police said.
A convicted sex offender has been charged by Telford Police with felony counts of failing to register his status with Pennsylvania State Police and failing to register a new address in Souderton Borough, in addition to new charges of indecent assault related to incidents that involved two women at a Telford church last month.
Chance Abdual Jackson, 46, formerly of the 1700 block of Wynsam Street, Philadelphia, and presently of the 400 block of Palmer Avenue in Souderton, was charged April 25 by detectives with two misdemeanor counts each of indecent assault without consent and disorderly conduct, in addition to the felony charges. He is also charged with two summary harassment offenses, per court records.
Jackson is a non-compliant Tier-1 sex offender. He is currently incarcerated at Bucks County Prison, according to Bucks County court records.
According to detectives, on the morning of April 23, a representative from the church reported to police about disturbing behavior by a man during a Sunday service two days prior.
Police said multiple women came forward to church authorities about the suspect, identified as Jackson, who inappropriately advances and touches them without their consent. Jackson, police said, had started attending the church near the end of March.
Detectives said Jackson was known from a prior incident in 2021 and known to be a Megan’s Law offender.
Police said two churchgoers, aged 66 and 74, told them about the incidents with Jackson. One victim, according to the criminal complaint, told police Jackson excessively hugged her when they were alone, starting by raising his arms up high and then lowering them to the victim’s lower back and waist on the first hug. Authorities said the victim broke contact, but Jackson returned a second time for a hug, only this time rubbing his waist and thighs on her.
According to the affidavit, the victim told him to stop and he did. However, he came back a third time when no one was around, and hugged her again, this time rubbing his torso against her. Police said the victim told Jackson, “Stop it,” and he replied, “What’s wrong?” and she told him he was too close and making her uncomfortable.
The victim, police said, lifted up her walking cane and backed away, and his right hand brushed her left breast as their contact was breaking. According to the victim, police said, Jackson would go from woman to woman, hugging them, during various church services. After one service, the victim asked Jackson where he lived, and he told her Souderton, when he is registered in Philadelphia, police said.
“She feels uneasy around him and … she has begun making sure to be around other people and not by herself, because she is vulnerable and does not want to give him the opportunity,” police wrote in the affidavit. “She is unsure if she ‘was strong enough to fight him off it he were to attack.’”
Police said the second victim was assaulted by Jackson while sitting next to her in a pew during the service. The 74-year-old woman told police Jackson was initially sitting next to another woman “and then relocated himself after the other woman mentioned she has a husband.”
The second victim, police said, told them Jackson snuggled up next to her, was extremely happy to be sitting next to her, and began digging at her legs and “doing things he shouldn’t be doing.” For the entire 80-minute service, police said Jackson rubbed and massaged the victim’s upper thighs. At one point, per the affidavit, she said, “Please help me,” to another churchgoer, but she was too quiet.
Police said the victim did not want to cause a scene during the service. Then, at the end of the service, a witness to the events got the woman away from Jackson by asking if she wanted to go see the pastor. The witness told police they saw the second woman scoot away from Jackson, but she was already at the end of the pew.
According to the complaint, the victims found Jackson searching on the Pennsylvania Megan’s Law website after the incidents.
Detectives discovered that Souderton Police had numerous contacts with Jackson, beginning April 3, where it was reported that a neighbor had the same type of circumstances happening to her, police said.
According to police, Tier-1 sex offenders must update their address with state police within three days of moving to a new address. Police allege Jackson no longer resides in Philadelphia, as police there have not made positive contact with him at his registered address.
According to PA Megan’s Law website, Jackson was convicted of indecent assault in November 2017.
A formal arraignment is scheduled in Bucks County Common Pleas Court for June 14, according to court records.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
