The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.
Jose Saez, Jr, pastor of Iglesia Cristiana Alumbrando el Camino in Brentwood, New York, stands accused of sexual exploitation of children, coercion, and enticement of children, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
The Long Island Press reports:
Brentwood pastor Jose Saez Jr., 28, is set to be arraigned in court on Wednesday for multiple charges of child sexual abuse.
The charges include sexual exploitation of children, coercion and enticement of children, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. There are up to eight counts against Saez Jr.
Saez Jr. was arrested on Sept. 28, with the alleged incidents taking place between Aug. 14 and Sept. 28.
During that time, Saez Jr. allegedly spoke with several minors and an undercover police officer, telling them he had sexually abused an infant, enjoyed molesting children between the ages of 11 and 15, and sought out victims through his church — Iglesia Cristiana Alumbrando el Camino in Brentwood.
Following a search, the FBI found images and videos of child pornography in Saez Jr.’s possession.
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If convicted, he faces between 15 and 30 years in prison.
Earlier, the Independent reported:
A Long Island pastor charged with the production of child pornography reportedly apologized to federal agents following his arrest, telling them “I’m sorry, I cannot stop.”
Father-of-three Jose Saez Jr was detained on Thursday following an online tip received by the FBI about an individual being sexually active with minor children.
Agents from the bureau’s Long Island Child Exploitation Task Force executed a search warrant at Saez Jr’s home in Brentwood, New York, and said they found multiple child-porn videos on his mobile phone.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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“I’m sorry, I cannot stop.” Wow. A mentally disordered person in a position of trust perfectly positioned to victimize kids. Having been the victim of such a person myself, it’s an infuriating story. There needs be some way to screen people with access to kids. Even that wouldn’t have saved me and the other kids molested by the pedophile Bryan mail carrier. He got access to us through his wife, my fifth grade teacher. He was never caught as far as I know. By the time I tried to do something about it he had disappeared and covered his tracks. Eventually I discovered what became of him when he died in Indiana at an advanced age.
Dutch Guy—I share your outrage. Your story has a parallel with mine: The priest who abused me was on “medical leave “ for ten years. Not surprisingly, I was not the only one subjected to his predations and none of us spoke of it for decades.
Brentwood is not far from where I live. It’s home to thousands of immigrants, some undocumented, from El Salvador, Honduras and other Latin American countries. Many are day laborers who speak little or no English, which makes them vulnerable to the unprincipled and the unbalanced.
He sexually abused an INFANT – that’s next level disgusting. And he says he can’t stop. He should be locked up for the rest of his life with zero access to children.