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Pastor arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting 14-year-old girl
A 45-year-old church pastor has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and he was free on bail today.
Los Angeles police Abused Child Unit detectives arrested Leonel Pelayo of Carson at about 1 p.m. on Thursday, the LAPD's Media Relations Section said in a statement.
Pelayo is a pastor of a local church on 99th Street and Vermont Avenue in the South Los Angeles area, the statement said.
Pelayo befriended the victim in a church youth group and allegedly took her to several vacant locations where he sexually assaulted her, according to the statement. The alleged sexual assaults took place over a period of several months.
Pelayo owns properties in areas throughout Los Angeles and the county, and he possibly used some of those locations to commit the alleged crimes, the statement said.
Pelayo was booked at 2:10 p.m. and his bail was $140,000 bail. He was released at 4:45 p.m., according to jail records.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has filed multiple charges of lewd acts with a child against Pelayo.
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Investigators believe there may be additional victims, and if so, they will now come forward.
Anyone with information was urged to call Abused Child Unit detectives at (213) 486-0570.
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