OKLAHOMA CITY (OK)
Fox-25 [Oklahoma City, OK]
November 6, 2026
By Kimberly Querry-Thompson
Authorities say an Oklahoma City pastor has been convicted for multiple crimes including human trafficking and lewd acts with a minor.
In March of 2025, agents with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics received information that a pastor was trafficking members of his church in Oklahoma City.
Agents interviewed several victims and found evidence that 41-year-old Elmer Baca Flores would force his victims to quit their jobs and would isolate the victims from their families. Officials say Flores would require his victims to move into his church, which was located inside Flores’ home.
“Victims told our agents they were forced to work for Flores without compensation, and he would threaten them with physical harm if they attempted to leave, claiming he was a member of the violent gang, MS-13. And Flores used his influence as a pastor to spiritually coerce the victims by targeting their religious convictions. One victim told agents that Flores gave her a test to prove her ability to resist temptation. During this test, the victim was sexually battered by Flores,” OBN Public Information Officer Mark Woodward said.
In April of 2025, Flores was arrested on three counts of lewd acts with a child and was booked into the Oklahoma County Jail.
However, the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office amended those charges to include counts for human trafficking for labor and sexual battery.
On Nov. 3, Flores was convicted of 13 counts of human trafficking for labor, one count of indecent or lewd acts with a child under 16, two counts of lewd or indecent proposals to a child, and one count of sexual battery.
Flores was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
He was also ordered to register as a sex offender and will face deportation.
OBN says this case marks the first conviction of human trafficking for forced labor in the State of Oklahoma.
“I appreciate the amazing work by our Human Trafficking Unit and the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office in this landmark case,” said OBN Director Donnie Anderson. “And I applaud the bravery of these victims for coming forward to hold their trafficker accountable.”