Pastor Charged with Sexual Assault

In South Los Angeles, a pastor has been charged with actually assaulting a 14-year-old girl that was a member of his congregation.

45-year-old Leonel Pelayo, Carson resident and pastor of Iglesia Apostolica Monte de Horeb, was arrested by police last week Thursday.  He was then charged with six felony sex crimes including lewd acts with a minor and unlawful sexual intercourse.  The counts were made public after the Los Angeles police department released a statement.

Officers say that the pastor befriended the girl during a church group.  Then, between the months of July and August, he took her to several vacant buildings and proceeded to sexually assault her.

Pelayo's arraignment has been set for September 30^th.  If he is convicted of the sex crimes, he will face four years and four months of serious jail time.

If you have been charged with a sex crime, such as sexual assault, you need to protect yourself by hiring a criminal defense attorney who handles these types of cases.