MIAMI (FL)
NBC 6
POSTED: 12:25 am EDT June 18, 2005
MIAMI -- A 62-year-old pastor has been charged with allegedly sexually abusing two members of his congregation.
Luis Serrano is charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation and five counts of sexual battery on a minor under the age of 11. He has been denied bond.
The alleged victims, who police described as being 8- and 9-year-old sisters, said their pastor, Serrano, had been sexually abusing them since the summer of 2004.
"We were interviewing two kids because of signs of abuse that were noticed by their parents," said one Miami police detective. "And during the course of that interview, they gave us the name of who was involved in this -- it was the church pastor."
"It started with simple fondling -- touching them with his hands across their private parts and so forth," the detective said. "It actually escalated to full sexual battery. In fact, these kids were actually raped."
Serrano was accused of a similar offense in 2003, but those charges were later dropped. Police said Serrano's son is in jail facing similar charges.
Posted by kshaw at June 18, 2005 08:29 AM