CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles Times
Joseph Serna
An Orange County religious nonprofit that prosecutors have linked to a former pastor accused of molestation has denied any ties to the suspect, the organization said in a statement.
Earlier this week, Orange County prosecutors announced that Douglas Dale Whinery, 80, had been arrested and accused of molesting two girls for years after he met them in Tustin in 2011. The girls are now 8 and 10, according to prosecutors.
Authorities said that Whinery had remained active at Olive Crest in Santa Ana, the Foothill Family Church in Foothill Ranch and the Grace Church in Yorba Linda until his arrest last week.
But an Olive Crest spokeswoman on Thursday said the faith-based nonprofit, which works with at-risk youths, has no record of Whinery working or volunteering with the group.
“Olive Crest is dedicated to guarding the safety and well-being of the children we serve,” the agency’s statement read. “Given our commitment to the safety of children, Olive Crest does not take allegations of this kind lightly. Our organization is always available to assist the District Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement entities. We have offered them our complete cooperation in this case.”
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