Orange County Pastor Convicted of Molesting Teen Congregant
ORANGE COUNTY (CBS) - Today, the former pastor of a San Clemente church was convicted of molesting a 14-year-old girl in his congregation.
Ricardo Avalos Maffey, 44, was the pastor of Apostolic Christian Church in San Clemente and met the victim when she was about 8 or 9 years old. According to Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker, he became a "quasi-father figure". Jurors saw e-mails between the pastor and the victim that charted the progression of their relationship as it escalated.
Maffey was found guilty of five felony counts of lewd acts on a child and one felony count of luring a child with the intent to molest. Orange County Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals ordered Maffey, who had been free on bond and working in the accounts department of the Pentecostal Christian Tabernacle Church in Santa Ana, to be immediately taken into custody for an April 15 sentencing date.
"I'm very happy for the victim and her family," said Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker.
Maffey was formally charged with kissing the girl three times between May and August of 2008. But Walker said he kissed her at least 10 times, beginning with a peck on the cheek and evolving to a kiss on the mouth, then using his tongue. He also stroked the girl's thigh and patted her on her rear end and then issued an invitation, via e-mail, for her to engage in sexual conduct.
William Hulsy, Maffey's attorney, argued the incriminating e-mails were taken out of context and sought to introduce evidence that the girl made similar claims against other men in the parish that were later found to be false. Despite claiming there were 17 inconsistencies in her testimony, Husly failed in his attacks on the girl's credibility because there were no witnesses, other than Maffey, to back up the assertion.
Judge Goethals denied Husly's request for Maffey to remain free until sentencing. He also frowned on a report that the defendant had recently attended his church's convention in Anaheim, an event that drew mostly adults, but some teenagers, as well.
"I think this underscores a serious lack of judgment," Goethals said. "I still don't think it's a state prison case, but it requires some punishment," he said and ordered Maffey to be taken into custody.
Maffey faces up to six years behind bars, Walker said, adding she will argue for a state prison sentence because Maffey "lied" in his testimony and due to the seriousness of his conduct.
CNS-03-14-2011 17:25 (©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
