Child-molesting North Bergen pastor skips court hearing, warrant issued

By Michaelangelo Conte
NJ.com
March 18, 2015

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2015/03/warrant_issued_for_child_molesting_north_bergen_pa.html

Gregorio Martinez, right, of Jersey City, looks towards the gallery of the courtroom during a break in his trial on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015.

Gregorio Martinez, right, of Jersey City, wearing headphones to hear the court interpreter, and his lawyer, Louis Serterides, listen to witness testimony during his trial on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015.

Hudson County Prosecutors Office Det. Raquel Krause is sworn in before testifying during the trial of Gregorio Martinez, of Jersey City, on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015.

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Linda Claude-Oben questions a witness during the trial of Gregorio Martinez, of Jersey City, on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015.

Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Det. Raquel Krause, left, and Superior Court Judge Mitzy Galis-Menendez listen to a question from Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Linda Claude-Oben during the trial of Gregorio Martinez, of Jersey City, on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015.

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Linda Claude-Oben gives her closing argument to the jury today, Feb. 25, 2015, in the trial of North Bergen pastor Gregorio Martinez, 47, of Jersey City, who is charged with molesting a 13-year-old boy in 2012.

A Hudson County Superior Court judge has issued a warrant for the arrest of a North Bergen pastor convicted of molesting a 13-year-old child last month after he failed to appear at a pre-sentencing hearing this week, officials said.

Gregorio Martinez, 47, who was described as a prophet and exorcist during testimony, was convicted on Feb. 25 of aggravated sexual contact, child abuse and endangering the welfare of the child.

He was to appear before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mitzy Galis-Menendez on Tuesday for the pre-sentencing hearing and the judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest when he did not show up, a court official said.

Officials have also released additional details of unrelated sex charges the Jersey City resident faces.

On Feb. 25, Martinez was found guilty of touching the victim's genital area and kissing him on the lips while inside the boy's mother's minivan in a Walmart parking lot in North Bergen on June 10, 2012. The boy's mother had gone into the store to buy diapers for her 4-year-old daughter, according to testimony.

At the time, Martinez was a deacon at Third Bethesda Pentecostal Church in Union City and knew the boy through the church, according to testimony. He is currently co-pastor Elohim Church in North Bergen. The Jersey Journal has not not able to reach officials at either church.

Martinez faces up to five years in prison when sentenced on April 12 by Menendez in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.

In the new charges filed on March 2, Martinez is charged with using religion to coerce sex from two 24-year-old men who were 18 and 19 years old at the time, the criminal complaint.

In the first complaint, Martinez is charged with sexual assault by coercion "by questioning the (victim's) faith in God when (the victim) refused to allow the defendant to (perform a sex act on the victim); making (the victim) believe that if he did not let the defendant do so, he would be going against the will of God."

Martinez is also charged with criminal sexual contact for allegedly fondling the man on two occasions, that complaint says.

The second new complaint, Martinez is charged with criminal sexual conduct for allegedly fondling the second man through his clothing on numerous occasions and again telling him that if he did not allow Martinez to do so, the victim "would be going against God which is a sin."

Both new complaints allege the crimes occurred in Jersey City.

Martinez is from the Dominican Republic and is not a United States citizen.