Pastor Accused of Sexually Abusing 16-year-old Boy

By Kelli Cook and Amanda Evans, Team Coverage
13 News
May 24, 2012

http://www.cfnews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2012/5/22/pastor_arrested_for_.html

Angel Perez, pastor of Templo Pentecostal in Kissimmee, is accused of inappropriately touching a 16-year-old boy who attended his church.

A teenage boy said he was inappropriately touched by his pastor, a man he trusted like his father.

Now, investigators in Osceola County said there may be more young victims who were lured into sexual acts with Angel Perez, the pastor of Templo Pentecostal, in Kissimmee.

According to a statement the victim gave police during the investigation, the 16-year-old said his mother did not want him to report the abuse.

He said his mother told him that she would go to jail and his younger siblings would be taken away by the Department of Children and Families if he told anyone.

"Never had any problems,” said Roger Aboul-Hosm, the church’s landlord. “I thought everyone was one happy family and I've known the preacher for at least a year and a half and maybe longer, and I'm as shocked as anybody that he was accused of these allegations."

According to police reports, Perez inappropriately touched the 16-year-old on three different occasions in September and October of 2011.

The victim reported the alleged abuse to Kissimmee police seven months later.

"He was scared,” said Stacie Miller, a spokeswoman for Kissimmee police. “He looked at the pastor as a father figure."

Although Kissimmee police made the arrest May 10, the alleged sexual acts occurred in Polk County at the pastor’s home.

The teen said Perez told him "that he was possessed by a demon and was unaware of what he was doing," according to police reports.

"The whole situation is just throwing me off guard," said Carlos Castro, a neighbor.

Castro said he was home when police came to question Perez.

"Pastor Perez agreed to come in and talk with our detectives,” Miller said. “Once he got here, he asked for a lawyer immediately."

Perez has since bonded out of the Osceola County Jail.

DCF opened a report on the case on May 9.

Kissimmee police said Perez has no previous criminal history.

Detectives are asking anyone who may have been victimized by Perez or has knowledge of other victims to contact Kissimmee police at (407) 847-2821.