Alexander Gonzalez Garcia, 57, of Middleton has been sentenced to five years fixed and up to 15 years in prison for felony sexual abuse of a minor under 16 years of age.

Garcia was a deacon at the Nampa Seventh-Day Adventist Church was arrested in December 2013 after the Nampa Police Department found he had sexual contact with a 12-year-old female victim on church grounds. In an investigation revealed in July of 2013, detectives found that Garcia locked the 12 year-old in a closet and began kissing, hugging and touching her inappropriately.

Garcia in an interview with police claimed that Satan was in the room with him and made him do it.

During today’s hearing, Judge Ford commended the victim for her courage in coming forward immediately and reporting the abuse. He noted that if there’s one place a child should feel safe, it’s in a church.

“Mr. Garcia used his position of trust in the church to take advantage of the victim, and he deserves to be behind bars where he can no longer be a danger to the community,” said Prosecutor Bryan Taylor. “This case should serve as a reminder to every parent that you need to be very careful of who your kids are hanging around with.”

Garcia will have to register as a sex offender, submit a DNA sample to the Idaho database, and have no contact with the victim or the victim’s family. Garcia was ordered to pay $5,000 in civil penalties and more than $3,000 in court costs.