WORCESTER (MA)
Telegram & Gazette
By Gary V. Murray TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
gmurray@telegram.com
WORCESTER — A former director of family activities at a local church was sentenced to 25 to 30 years in state prison yesterday after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting seven children from 5 to 10 years old.
Samuel Molina, 33, formerly of 2 Freeland St., got to know many of his victims and their families while doing volunteer work as director of family activities at the Iglesia Cristiana Bet-El church at 3 Wiser Ave., according to Assistant District Attorney Cheryl R. Riddle.
After becoming a trusted member of the church community, Mr. Molina sexually assaulted seven children — four boys and three girls — from 2009 through July of last year, the prosecutor said during a plea hearing in Worcester Superior Court.
Ms. Riddle said the sexual assaults occurred at the homes of Mr. Molina and the victims and, on one occasion, in a closet at the church. When asked by police how he was sometimes able to sexually assault children in their own homes with their parents or other family members present, according to Ms. Riddle Mr. Molina responded: “They had a lot of faith in me. They trusted me.”
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.