HAMMOND | The defense and prosecutors have asked the court to seal all correspondence received in conjunction with the child sex case involving disgraced Pastor Jack Schaap.
The parties argue in a motion filed Thursday the content of the letters and emails suggest they were "meant for the Court's consideration only and not for public consumption."
The correspondence also contains information, such as home and email addresses, and other personal and confidential information that must be redacted by law from public filings.
Mary Hatton, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office, declined to comment on the content of the correspondence.
She said the judge shares these types of correspondence with the defense and prosecution, which in this case led to the joint request to seal the documents.
The motion comes a day after Schaap appeared in federal court to admit to three sexual encounters with a parish girl beginning when she was 16.
Schaap, a former pastor of First Baptist Church of Hammond, pleaded guilty to the transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
While the charge carries a potential life sentence, the proposed plea recommends the minimum term of 10 years, followed by Schaap registering as a sex offender.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 15 before U.S. District Court Judge Rudy Lozano.
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