Sisters Among 6 Who Testify Ormond Pastor Groped Them

By Mark I. Johnson
The News-Journal
November 1, 2012

http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20121101/ARTICLES/121109978/1025?Title=Sisters-among-6-who-testify-Ormond-pastor-groped-them&tc=ar

Prosecutors rested Thursday afternoon in the child-sex trafficking and molestation case in federal court against a self-proclaimed Ormond Beach evangelist.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Gable wrapped up her prosecution of Luis E. Morales and Rebeca Rivera with the testimony of two adult sisters who claimed as children they had been molested during an overnight stay at the Morales home in 1998.

The women, who The News-Journal is not identifying because of their claims of sexual abuse, said Morales “pinched” their chests and buttocks during games of hide-and-go-seek and crawled under the bed covers with them, groping them under their clothing.

The sisters said their mother was friends with Morales -- also known as "Tito" -- and his wife, Linda. But they were afraid to tell their mother about the abuse, which included Morales trying to get them to kiss him on the mouth.

“I knew what he was doing was wrong,” one sister testified, but I was an 8-year-old who had a 40-year-old man groping me. “I did not know what to do.”

The other sister said, in addition to groping her, Morales watched her take a shower after she soiled the bed where she slept at Morales' Ormond Beach home.

After unsuccessfully attempting to get the five counts against Morales -- and two against Rivera, 27, of Connecticut -- thrown out, the defense called past and present members of En Fuego For Jesus ministry, which Morales and his wife founded and operate out of their Ormond Beach home.

If convicted, Morales faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for each of the five charges.

Members of the minstry said they had no knowledge of any sexual impropriety between Morales and four minors who also testified “Apostle Tito” abused them.

The most ardent support of Morales came from wife Linda Morales, who refuted Gables' assertions that she knew about her husband's improprieties.

During her cross-examination, Gable pressed Linda Morales saying she had told the mother of the little girl that her daughter had tried to seduce her husband, because she “knew of the inappropriate sexual activity.”

“That is a lie,” Linda Morales shot back.

The defense is scheduled to call a number of witnesses Friday before wrapping up its case. Then, the jury will get a break over the weekend before attorneys give their closing arguments Monday and the jury begins its deliberations.