BishopAccountability.org
	Youth Leader Pleads Not Guilty to Molestation KSBW November 26, 2009 http://www.ksbw.com/news/21726664/detail.html SALINAS, Calif. -- A church youth leader pleaded not guilty to charges that he molested an 11-year-old girl at a Salinas church. Erick Mendoza, 20, was arraigned at a Monterey County court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of molestation. Authorities said an 11-year-old girl, who was a member of the Iglesia Pentecostal Nueva Vida Church youth group, said Mendoza, who ran the youth group, molested her on church property. The Iglesia Pentecostal Nueva Vida Church is located at 817 Beech Street and shares the same building as several other churches, but has its office in the back. Action News spoke with a pastor of one of the neighboring churches who said the Iglesia Pentecostal Nueva Vida Church is an Argentinean congregation of about 30 to 40 people, a small group that has been problem free until this incident. Mendoza's bail has been set at $1.1 million. The church released a statement to Action News Wednesday night that read in part "…the accusation was at times when the church was closed and no one was on church grounds. The church is offering every support to the family of the victim and we are also working with the police department to clear up this incident beyond our control." The church also claims that Mendoza was not a youth leader, something police and prosecutors said is false.
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