Former Youth Minister Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Family Member
By Gabriel Monte
“I hate that you used God to get close to children to hurt them,” she told Rogelio Pena, 51, who was sentenced on Tuesday to 25 years in prison in exchange for a plea of guilty to a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Pena admitted to sexually abusing an 8-year-old family member in August 2015. However, the girl’s mother accused Pena of also sexually abusing a younger daughter. “I know God will make you pay for the sins you committed,” she told Pena in her victim impact statement in court. She said her daughters are still dealing with issues of forgiveness, depression and fear. “You distorted my girls’ perspective on Christianity,” she said. “You took my girls’ innocence away.” She said Pena also sexually abused two other relatives, who are now in their 40s, when he was 18. “You’re nothing to me,” the girl’s mother said. “You put my family through hell, you put me through hell. I’m glad you’re pleading so you won’t make our lives more miserable. I have no intention of calling you my family ever again.” Lubbock police arrested Pena Aug. 14, 2015. Traci Bowman, a Lubbock County felony prosecutor, said the girl made an outcry to her mother, accusing Pena of sexually abusing her for about two years. “In talking with the family, we found that he did work at a church that is no longer meeting here in Lubbock,” she said. “He had access to kids but we didn’t find any new victims.” Other family members came forward with their own accusations of sexual abuse by Pena after he was arrested, Bowman said. Pena will have to serve half of his sentence before he is eligible for parole and will have to register as a sex offender if he is released.
|
.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.