Legal Analysis By Attorneys
Breaking Legal News
Last Updated: 7/14/2020
The lead pastor at New Beginnings Community Church in Jurupa Valley has been accused of sexually abusing an underage female church member. 51-year-old Sean Ortiz was arrested on November 8 on suspicion of two counts of felony sexual battery.
Ortiz is accused of sexually abusing the alleged victim on at least two separate occasions. The girl contacted deputies with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to report the alleged abuse on Friday and Ortiz was arrested at his home the same night.
After being booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center, Ortiz posted $50,000 bail and was released.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has announced that this investigation is ongoing. Other potential victims have been asked to call the Jurupa Valley sheriff’s station at 951-955-2600.
Attorney Contributor Jason Amala represents victims of sexual abuse in their pursuit of justice. He gave us his comments on the legal options available to victims of sexual abuse by the church, such as filing a sexual assault lawsuit:
“Predators often try to infiltrate organizations of trust and authority such as the church. This gives them more freedom to carry out their activities undetected. Many priests have been accused of sexual abuse and often are convicted for their crimes. However, it is important to examine if the church is also at fault. There are some situations where the church may have prevented the abuse if they had acted appropriately. For example, a church that transfers a priest who has multiple complaints against him instead of firing him may be found to have acted negligently and may owe money to victims in a civil lawsuit.”
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