"RICHMOND - A Richmond pastor is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury convicted him of sexually assaulting a child, prosecutors said. Emilio Alberto Esperanza-Pacheco, 52, was found guilty Wednesday on five counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 14 and 10 counts of forcible lewd acts upon a child, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office."
"Esperanza-Pacheco is scheduled to be sentenced April 9, according to prosecutors. "The penalty the defendant is facing reflects the gravity of the crimes committed against a child," District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement. "While no outcome can undo the trauma suffered by the victim, we hope the verdict provides some sense of justice and allows her and her family to move forward with a degree of closure.""
Emilio Alberto Esperanza-Pacheco, 52, was convicted on five counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 and 10 counts of forcible lewd acts. The offenses occurred between June 1, 2023, and Oct. 14, 2023. He served as a pastor at God's Lighthouse of Truth Church, where the victim and her family were members and became friends with him. He used his position and friendship to deter the victim from reporting the abuse. The victim later informed her parents. Officers arrested Esperanza-Pacheco on Oct. 13, 2023; he has remained in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced April 9, facing life without parole.
Read at The Mercury News
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