Norwalk Church Official Faces Sexual Assault Charges

Los Angeles Wave
September 22, 2013

http://wavenewspapers.com/news/local/herald_american/article_8c4b866c-23b4-11e3-82b5-0019bb30f31a.html

Jorge Juan Castro, an associate pastor at Las Vuenas Nuevas Church in Norwalk, California, is accused of raping more than 20 women, many of whom are Spanish-speaking, undocumented immigrants.

NORWALK — An Oct. 16 arraignment on sexual assault charges is scheduled for an associate pastor of Las Buenas Nuevas Church here, who is suspected of preying on undocumented women parishioners.

Jorge Juan Castro, 54, of Norwalk, is jailed in lieu of $2 million bail while awaiting arraignment in Norwalk Superior Court on a six-count complaint stemming from alleged sexual assaults on two woman who attended services at his church.

Investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department — who arrested Castro at his home Sept. 13 — believe there are additional victims.

A sheriff's statement says "numerous female parishioners" were allegedly sexually abused, and "many of the victims are Spanish-speaking undocumented immigrants."

"The suspect allegedly preyed upon the victims' vulnerability ... by [telling] the victims if they reported him he would have the victims deported, while additionally threatening to expose the victims to public embarrassment and ridicule," according to the sheriff's statement. "The information came to deputies' attention when over 20 women ranging from age 18 to 39 implicated the suspect to a third party. That person contacted sheriff's deputies."

Shiara Davila-Morales of the District Attorney's Office noted the criminal investigation is ongoing.

"If we're presented with additional evidence, we will review it," she said.

Castro is charged with one count each of forcible rape and sexual penetration by a foreign object and four counts of forcible oral copulation — all felonies.

Crimes involving one of the women allegedly occurred between Jan. 1, 2004, and Dec. 31, 2007, and between April 1-30, 2010, for the other alleged victim, according to the criminal complaint.

According to the Sheriff's Department, Castro moved to the Los Angeles area from Argentina in 2004, and was an associate pastor and counselor at the Norwalk church.

Castro was removed from his post after church leaders learned about the investigation, sheriff's Capt. Robert Esson told the Los Angeles Times.

Castro also is an associate pastor at a church in Riverside County, but there are no known victims in that jurisdiction, the Sheriff's Department reported.

Anyone with more information on the case is urged to call sheriff's Special Victims Bureau detectives at (877) 710-5273, or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.