A Santa Ana pastor has been sentenced to 45 years to life in prison for sexually assaulting three young girls.

Carlos Ramirez Valdez, 61, was convicted of 14 counts related to the child sexual abuse cases that happened while he was the leader of Iglesia De Dios Ebenezer Church between 2012 and 2019. He became a pastor at another Santa Ana church after the assaults.

  • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    20 hours ago

    Why is a 4 year old alone with the pastor? Why was he driving another girl home from church.

    It feels more like he was a family friend as well as a pastor. Probably babysitting and such. While I have no love for organized religion, nor believe there is any reason to trust a padtor more than any other person. The pastor thing may not be as relevant as it is being made out to be here. Still relevant, but I don’t think it is necessarily what gave him access to these girls.

    • whiwake@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      4 hours ago

      I don’t know about this one, but lots of predators get to know the family to be trusted and then gain access.