James Nathan Grassie, 49, a so-called faith-based youth advisor and co-founder of a program called “Trail Life,” was convicted Thursday on three counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child. The jury didn’t need long—less than two hours of deliberation—before handing down the guilty verdict. Grassie now faces up to life in prison.
During the trial, three boys testified about repeated abuse. One said it started on a camping trip and happened often. Another said Grassie showed him pornography and touched him when he was just eight or nine years old. Texts, secrecy, and fear were part of the pattern. Prosecutors described the victims as brave for stepping forward despite the trauma.
The defense, meanwhile, went with the timeless “these kids are lying” argument, tossing in complaints about missing devices and inconsistencies in testimony. The jury didn’t buy it. Grassie’s casual comment to a reporter earlier in the week—“When all this is over, I want to come visit with you”—aged about as well as you’d expect.
Another “man of faith” using God as cover for exploitation, another community reeling. Lubbock has enough scandals already—did we really need a homegrown youth leader to check the “predator” box too?
