CALIFORNIA
KTLA
APRIL 18, 2018
BY KRISTINA BRAVO
A pastor accused of sexually assaulting a girl in a Covina hotel pleaded not guilty, officials announced on Wednesday.
Douglas Rivera, 40, was charged with lewd act upon a child, first-degree burglary and indecent exposure, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Rivera allegedly drove to the Vanllee Hotel and Suites on Feb. 7 and parked his vehicle in front of a room where a 10- and 12-year-old were staying. The children were part of a Chinese tourist group, officials said.
Authorities said Rivera masturbated in his truck before going to the room, where he inappropriately touched one of the girls.
The Covina Police Department released surveillance images from the hotel on Feb. 9 and later named Rivera—apparently a pastor at God’s Gypsy Christian Church in Glendale—as a suspect.
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