Disgraced Bethlehem Pastor Gets up to 19 Years for Sex Abuse

By Riley Yates
Morning Call
February 6, 2012

http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-bethlehem-pastor-sex-abuse-20120206,0,2091519.story

The same crime, a different victim.

The same phrases of piety, the same acts of immorality.

Disgraced Bethlehem pastor Santos A. Rosado was sentenced Monday to up to 19 years in state prison for systematically sexually abusing a girl for years starting when she was 12.

It marked the second child molestation case Rosado faced judgment for, and, like the first, his family cast him in court as a victim and not a perpetrator. They called him a man of God who has won forgiveness.

A Northampton County prosecutor called him a danger to society for his sexual proclivities. "This is the way he advises. This is his pastoral calling, so to speak," Assistant District Attorney Patricia Broscius said.

Santos, an ordained minister, pleaded guilty in September to two counts of statutory sexual assault and one each of indecent assault, corrupting a minor and endangering the welfare of a child. The crimes began in 1993, his victim, now in her 30s, has testified. Rosado would crawl into bed with her, pull up her nightgown and force her to have sex, Broscius has said.

The assaults were such a part of the victim's life that Rosado continued to have sexual contact with her until she was 25 years old, authorities have said. That included at 18, when the victim got pregnant and Rosado tried to force her to get an abortion, though she eventually gave birth to a son.

"Lots of people looked up to him and respected him… . I feared him," the victim said in a impact statement read by Broscius.

Rosado, 46, is already serving a sentence for abusing a troubled teen who sought his help while he was pastor of a congregation at the Bethlehem Community Fellowship building in the Marvine-Pembroke housing development.

Last year, he admitted to corrupting a minor and indecent assault for molesting the 14-year-old girl he had met in 2007. A runaway who was in and out of foster placement, the girl was counseled by Rosado until the age of 16. The inappropriate contact started with a kiss and continued to mutual fondling.

Rosado was sentenced in September to 18 months to three years in state prison, followed by six years of probation. Judge Craig Dally's sentence Monday — which exceeded recommended guidelines — will be in addition to that.

Taken together, Rosado won't be eligible for parole until he's served nearly eight years behind bars. Dally also tacked on another 10 years of probation once Rosado completes his prison time.

Rosado will also have to register for life as a sex offender, after Dally concluded he is a sexually violent predator — a designation disputed by defense attorney Ron Creazzo.

Creazzo argued Rosado is remorseful and prays for forgiveness. Rosado's wife, Marilyn, asked Dally to "restore him to the man that God wants him to be." A daughter, Lydia, said her family is being punished for what happened.

"So I guess your father is a victim in all of this too?" Dally asked.

"I really believe he is," she said.

That was too much even for Santos Rosado, who told Dally he is solely to blame.

"I am not the victim. There's a lot of love here with my family, but [the girl] was the victim," Rosado said, beginning to break into tears. "I take full responsibility."