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Youth Pastor Accused Of Raping Several Women At Church And On Trips
Police have arrested an Orange County youth pastor for allegedly sexually assaulting numerous teens and young women, both at church and on overseas trips.
Sean Patrick Aday, 38, of Lake Forest, was arrested on suspicion of rape, sodomy and penetration with a foreign objects on Friday. He was bonded out on Saturday morning, OC Weekly reports. Authorities are concerned that there may be other victims who have yet to come forward.
In October, a woman told police that Aday sexually assaulted her while he was employed as a youth pastor at Grace Community Church of Saddleback Valley, located at 26052 Trabuco Road in Lake Forest. Aday was fired from the church afterwards. During the investigation, Lt. Jeff Hallock of the Orange County Sheriff's Department said that several other victims also came forward. Some of the accusers said Aday assaulted them while at the church or on church property while others said it happened on church-sponsored trips to Moldova, South Africa and Costa Rica. The accusers are all women in their late teens or early 20s who either attended or volunteered with the church.
A pastor at Grace Community Church, said in a statement, "It is with great horror today that we have heard of the crimes that former employee Sean Aday has been charged with against those entrusted to our care at Grace Community Church. We are shocked and angered that he abused his role as a leader here to hurt those who trusted him. Our deepest sympathies and prayers go out to the victims and their families. We are praying fervently for them and will strive to provide avenues for healing and peace in their lives," the OC Register reports.
Anyone who may have been victimized by Aday can contact the OC Sheriff's Department's Special Victim's Unit at 714-647-7418, while anonymous tipsters should call Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-847-6227.
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