A pastor in an Anaheim church has been accused of molesting four girls in his congregation, The Orange County Register reports. The 45-year-old pastor was arrested in September and has been charged with one felony count of lewd acts on a child under 14, five felony counts of lewd acts on a child, two misdemeanor counts of child annoyance, and a sentencing enhancement allegation for lewd acts on multiple children. He is accused of inappropriately touching four girls as young as 13 between April 2007 and September 2009. The Anaheim pastor, who has a prior conviction for sale or distribution of drugs, faces a state prison sentence of up to 11 years and four months if convicted.
Sex crimes are some of the most vigorously prosecuted and severely punished offenses in our criminal justice system today. This is particularly true when the alleged victims involve children or underage teenagers. If you are accused of a sex offense, whether you believe you are guilty or not, you need a strong and skilled criminal defense lawyer on your side. A sex crime conviction can lead to significant incarceration and mandatory registration as a sex offender in California for the remainder of your life.
An experienced Orange County sex offense lawyer will be able to aggressively defend you and make sure that your legal and constitutional rights are protected. The knowledgeable attorneys at Sitkoff & Hanrahan thoroughly understand sex crime prosecution and defense. We have more than 60 years of combined experience in criminal prosecution, investigation and criminal defense trials. If you have been accused of a sex crime law violation, call an Orange County sex crime lawyer immediately at 866-430-8383 for a free consultation.
Source: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/campoverde-child-four-2604459-acts-lewd