California pastor arrested for allegedly molesting congregant when she was a teen: police

The pastor of a California church was arrested for allegedly molesting one of his congregants when she was only a young teen, according to authorities and a report.

Victor Manuel Hernandez-Pineda, the director of Iglesia Pentecostes Movimiento De Gloria, was arrested Friday after an investigation was launched on Nov. 9, Richmond police said, according to reports.

The 53-year-old spiritual leader was taken into custody on suspicion of three counts of kidnapping and four counts of molesting a girl younger than 14, cops said, the Mercury News reported.

Charges are expected to be officially lodged early next week, according to the outlet.

The victim was a member of his church, authorities noted.  

Karen Cifuentes, now 21, recently told her parents about sickening acts committed against her by Hernandez-Pineda when she was only 13, ABC 7 San Francisco reported.

“He took me to a hotel near the school and at that moment I told him that I didn’t feel safe,” Cifuentes told the station through a translator.

“I didn’t feel good and that we shouldn’t do it, but he made me do it.”

The pastor allegedly convinced her that it was God’s will that they have sex, she also told the station. Still, she resisted because of their age difference and because he was married and her pastor, ABC 7 reported.

“It changed my life totally, mentally. I was dead. It killed me. I did not think the same, my grades went down. I was angry with my parents at home. I acted out. I could not tell my parents anything and I was always angry,” Cifuentes said, noting the sexual abuse happened five times over three years.

Before his arrest, a station reporter confronted him about the allegations ahead of Sunday services. He appeared dumbfounded and didn’t say anything when the reporter mentioned sexual abuse.

Hernandez-Pineda is now being held on $7 million bail and authorities are investigating if he had more potential victims.

“It’s always disheartening when somebody in a position of trust, especially at a church, is alleged to have committed a crime especially as heinous as this,” Richmond police Lt. Donald Patchin told NBC Bay Area.

“It’s always concerning and unfortunate when we have to investigate these types of crimes.”