Church's part-time youth worker accused of molesting teen girl

By Austin L. Miller
Ocala Star-Banner
February 27, 2014

http://www.ocala.com/article/20140227/ARTICLES/140229696?Title=Church-s-part-time-youth-worker-accused-of-molesting-teen-girl

Daniel A. Dominguez

A part-time student ministry intern at Church at the Springs was arrested Wednesday, accused of lewd and lascivious behavior with a teenage girl on church property.

Daniel A. Dominguez, 21, was booked into the Marion County Jail Wednesday evening and was released on $10,000 bond, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office. He has since been fired from that job.

The 15-year-old girl was interviewed at Kimberly's Center for Child Protection in Ocala, according to a Marion County Sheriff's Office report. She told an investigator that on Feb. 21, while at the church, she was helping with preparation for an upcoming event.

She said Dominguez asked her to help clean water jugs and she accompanied him into the kitchen. There, she said, while joking around, she called him gay. She said Dominguez told her he was not gay and that he could prove it.

The girl said he attempted to grab her and tried kissing her. She said he touched her breast over and under her shirt, her buttocks over her clothes and her private area, over and under her clothing, according to the report. She said he then asked her for sex and she said no. The girl said she then pushed him off of her.

The next day, she said, Dominguez sent her a message on Facebook apologizing.

Sheriff's Detective Mike Dodd reviewed those messages and then interviewed Dominguez at the church, at 5424 SE 58th Ave., near Ocala. According to the report, he admitted grabbing the girl's buttocks while they were in the kitchen. He said they were flirting with each other, but he denied other allegations brought against him by the teen.

Keith Duncan, pastor of administration for the church, said Thursday that they “terminated” Dominguez and are providing counseling for the girl.

“We will be having parent meetings,” Duncan said. “Our lead pastor plans on telling the church this weekend. This is a serious matter.”

Duncan said Dominguez violated policies and procedures regarding sexual misconduct. One of those polices states that he should not be alone with the opposite sex.

“We're working with the authorities and cooperating with them,” Duncan said.

Dominguez could not be reached for comment on Thursday.