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.
Seferino Tosie, pastor of Missionary Memorial Church in Aurora, Oregon, stands of accused sixteen counts of rape, sexual penetration, sex abuse, and sodomy.
A Washington County pastor was arrested and indicted for sex crimes, including rape, for alleged incidents that began in 2008.
Seferino Tosie, 46, was indicted by a Washington County grand jury following a 2-month investigation with the Canby Police Department that identified multiple juvenile victims.
Detectives say Tosie’s victims likely attended Missionary Memorial Church in Aurora, where he worked as a pastor.
So far, the cases reported have occurred in Washington, Clackamas, and Marion counties between 2008 and 2016, authorities said.
Tosie was indicted by a grand jury on 16 charges.
However, detectives with the Violent Crimes Unit say they also believe there are other victims yet to come forward, as Tosie has worked in other churches in the area, as well as in Kansas, Minnesota, Hawaii and Iowa. Officials said one more victim came forward after Tosie’s indictment.
Detectives of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes division say a pastor, Seferino Tosie, 46, has been indicted on multiple charges of alleged sexual assault.
Officials are looking for more victims.
Since Tosie’s indictment on Dec. 13, a third victim has come forward with similar allegations. The alleged victims were members of Missionary Memorial Church in Aurora, where Tosie served as a pastor. The alleged abuse reported so far took place in Washington, Clackamas and Marion counties between 2008 and 2016.
So far, all of the alleged victims have been of Micronesian descent. Court records show the three victims were all under the age of 14.
The charges stem from a two-month joint investigation with the Canby Police Department. Detectives identified multiple juvenile victims during the investigation, and the case is still ongoing.
Detectives believe Tosie’s victims attended Missionary Memorial Church, where he worked as a pastor. Investigators say Tosie also has worked at many other churches in the area, as well as in Kansas, Minnesota, Hawaii and Iowa.
A Washington County grand jury on Dec. 13 indicted Tosie on multiple counts of the following crimes:
Rape in the first degree (three counts)Sodomy in the first degree (six counts)Sexual Abuse in the first degree (four counts)Sexual Penetration in the first degree (three counts)
Tosie has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Meanwhile, a co-defendent is listed in the court records, Jerony MJ Simina, 23, of Tualatin. Simina was arraigned Dec. 6 on six counts of first-degree sodomy and three counts of first-degree sexual abuse. Records show the men may have abused at least two of the same children.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen 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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