Union City Pastor Charged with Sexual Abuse of 2 Teen Girls in Clifton

By Abbott Koloff
The Record
February 12, 2016

http://www.northjersey.com/news/union-city-pastor-charged-with-sexual-abuse-of-2-teen-girls-in-clifton-1.1511302

The pastor of a Union City church has been charged with offenses related to the alleged sexual contact with two juvenile girls in Clifton over a two-year period, authorities said Friday in a news release.

Vicitacio Rivas-Valle, 68, was arrested on Tuesday and is accused of abusing two teenagers who were members of his church, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said. The girls, she said, were between 13 and 16 years old when the alleged abuse took place.

“The crimes are alleged to have occurred in Clifton, New Jersey, over a two-year period,” Valdes said. She did not provide details about when the alleged crimes occurred.

Rivas-Valle was charged with two counts each of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, the prosecutor said. His bail was set at $50,000, Valdes said.

The third-degree crimes each carry a maximum sentence of five years in state prison, Valdes said. The fourth-degree crimes each carry a maximum sentence of 18-months, she said.

The name of the church was not disclosed.

Email: koloff@northjersey.com