AGUILAR Trial: Rebuttal Witness Alleges Kissing Turned to Fondling

By Kerri O'Brien
WRIC
June 23, 2015

http://wric.com/2015/06/23/aguilar-trial-rebuttal-witness-alleges-kissing-turned-to-fondling/

A former ROC parishioner, who says Geronimo Aguilar was inappropriate with her when she was just 16, testified Tuesday in the former pastor’s sex abuse trial in Texas.

After the defense rested its case Tuesday, shocking testimony came from the prosecutions rebuttal witness, the aforementioned former ROC parishioner. She told the jury her pastor, Aguilar, said he had feelings for her and at 16, she thought he was her boyfriend.

“It started slow, he wanted a hug,” she said. “I remember being like physically shaking. I was just scared.”

Now an adult, the young woman testified Aguilar eventually kissed her. And the witness alleges soon the kissing progressed to fondling.

“He would touch my butt, touch my breasts,” she said.

Prosecutors presented as evidence nearly 700 allegedly inappropriate text messages between Aguilar and the teen, trying to portray a pattern sexual misconduct.

Aguilar didn’t recall the messages but says he knows she sent him inappropriate messages.

And, on stand Tuesday, while the former ROC pastor admitted to multiple affairs with ROC parishioners, he stood firm in denying that he ever sexually assaulted a minor.

“No sir, never ever in my life and never ever even accused of having sex with a child in my life until this,” he said.

The prosecution plans to call two more rebuttal witnesses to the stand on Wednesday.