Brentwood pastor Jose Saez Jr., 28, is set to be arraigned in court on Wednesday for multiple charges of child sexual abuse.
The charges include sexual exploitation of children, coercion and enticement of children, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. There are up to eight counts against Saez Jr.
Saez Jr. was arrested on Sept. 28, with the alleged incidents taking place between Aug. 14 and Sept. 28.
During that time, Saez Jr. allegedly spoke with several minors and an undercover police officer, telling them he had sexually abused an infant, enjoyed molesting children between the ages of 11 and 15, and sought out victims through his church — Iglesia Cristiana Alumbrando el Camino in Brentwood.
Following a search, the FBI found images and videos of child pornography in Saez Jr.’s possession.
“As alleged, despite the trust and respect placed in him by his community and his congregation, the defendant verbally abused children online and attempted to persuade minors to produce sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves and send them to him via the internet,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a news release. “Protecting children from predators and those who sexually exploit them will always be a priority of this Office.”
Saez Jr. will appear in front of United States Magistrate Judge James M. Wicks at the federal court in Central Islip.
If convicted, he faces between 15 and 30 years in prison.
Anyone with information about sexual exploitation by Jose Saez Jr. is asked to contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or (212)-384-1000.
