Sentencing continues today for former Richmond pastor Geronimo Aguilar

WRIC
October 13, 2015

http://wric.com/2015/10/13/sentencing-continues-today-for-former-richmond-pastor-geronimo-pastor-g-aguilar/

TARRANT COUNTY, Texas (WRIC) — Sentencing is set to continue today for the former Richmond pastor found guilty of sexually assaulting two underage girls in the 1990s.

Geronimo ‘Pastor G’ Aguilar was convicted in June on child sex assault charges in Texas. 8News Investigative Reporter Kerri O’Brien is the only Richmond reporter in Fort Worth covering his sentencing.

Yesterday in court, the judge heard from Aguilar’s victims. They described the damage that years and years of sexual abuse had on them and their families.

Witnesses called to the stand for the prosecution said Aguilar destroyed a lot lives.

Spectators of the court became visibly emotional as Lani Vallejo recounted the abuse she and her sister experienced. She told the judge that she and her sister have been left emotionally and mentally scarred, unable to trust anyone.

“At some point he had Nancy lay on the floor, she was at the foot of the bed,” Vallejo recalled. “After he touched me he laid with Nancy.”

“I just had… a lot of baggage and just shame and guilt and insecurities,” added victim Nancy Mohr.

More allegations surfaced during the sentencing. A former assistant pastor at the ROC Church, Andrew Delgado, told the judge that Aguilar once purchased $9,000 rims for his car on the churches tab. The witness also accused Aguilar of using money set aside for church deacons to buy a $1,000 watch.

“We went to the Stony Point Fashion Mall and and he bought himself a black Movado watch with a big diamond,” Delgado said. “There was no numbers, just a big diamond on the top.”

Several witnesses for the defense asked the judge for mercy in sentencing. One witness said that Aguilar helped her family, saying Aguilar reached out when no one else would help. Another former ROC parishioner told the judge that Aguilar helped him get off drugs, which changed his life.

“He helped me to get clean but I tried previous times before that to get clean until I met Jesus I believe that was route to help me get clean,” Aaron Gray said.

Sentencing continues Tuesday as Aguilar faces the possibility of life behind bars.