Pastor who said he can’t stop abusing kids pleads guilty to sexual exploitation of a child

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Editors’ word: This text accommodates graphic descriptions of kid sexual abuse.

A Lengthy Island pastor who informed investigators that he couldn’t cease himself from abusing kids and has a penchant for preying on youth aged 11 and 15, pleaded responsible to sexual exploitation of a kid in federal court docket in Central Islip Tuesday. He’s anticipated to spend a minimum of 15 years in jail.

Pastor Jose Saez Jr., 29, of Iglesia Cristiana Alumbrando El Camino (Lighting The Means Christian Church) was arrested and charged with producing youngster pornography in 2023 after the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided his Brentwood residence and recovered greater than 20 movies of a 16-year-old boy that the pastor had shared with others.

“The defendant’s sexual exploitation of minors, each in particular person and on-line, is horrific, and he now faces a minimum of 15 years in jail for his unspeakable crimes,” United States Lawyer John J. Durham stated in a launch from the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Jap District of New York. “That he held a place of belief and accountability as a pastor of a neighborhood church makes his conduct much more reprehensible. Defending weak kids from predators like this defendant will all the time be a precedence of this Workplace.”

In keeping with court docket paperwork reviewed by The Christian Submit, Saez allegedly informed investigators that he was conscious that the teenage boy, who he met on the messaging app referred to as Telegram, was a highschool scholar.

But the married father of three kids, who have been aged 1, 3 and 5 on the time of his arrest, deliberately persuaded the minor to provide sexually express pictures and movies of himself and share them with him.

In an October 2023 letter to U.S. Justice of the Peace Decide Anne Y. Shields, Assistant U.S. Lawyer Mark E. Misorek argued that Saez was a hazard to the neighborhood as he shared proof of Saez admitting to preying on the youngsters of his “family and friends,” and discovering victims at church. He additionally shared how Saez groomed the 16-year-old boy, recognized as John Doe.

“In August of 2023, the defendant engaged John Doe in a direct dialog on Telegram. The defendant groomed John Doe with flattery and step by step progressed to asking him for nude photos of himself. John Doe repeatedly made references that he was 16 years previous — a minor. Nonetheless, the defendant finally satisfied John Doe to ship a video of himself [performing sexually explicit acts],” Misorek famous. “The defendant inspired John Doe, saying in sum and substance, ‘Ship me an image of your face, tease me, let me see you within the mirror, want extra pics, the entrance too, I wish to see your physique, take it out . . . your d—.”

That very same month, Saez admitted to an spy that he had sexually abused an toddler and revealed how he focused his youthful victims at his church.

“In August of 2023, the defendant had on-line conversations with the UC. Throughout these conversations, the defendant said, amongst different issues, that he had carried out oral intercourse on an toddler and ejaculated on the toddler, that his ‘candy spot’ for molesting kids was kids between the ages of 11 and 15 and that he was capable of finding his youthful victims at ‘church,’” Misorek wrote.

Investigators reviewed some 12,000 movies, 400,000 photos and 6,800 chats recovered from units owned by Saez. In a single dialog, when requested if he was nervous about getting turned down by a minor, he replied, “Getting turned down implies I’m giving them a selection[.]”

Although investigators didn’t get better any photos of the pastor with infants, he said in a single chat, “I f—— just a few littles.”

Throughout questioning with officers, Saez, who may very well be sentenced to a most of 30 years in jail for his crime, admitted that kids are by no means secure with him

“Lastly, throughout the course of the interview, whereas discussing creation, distribution and possession of kid pornography, the defendant said, ‘I’m sorry that I can’t cease,’” Misorek wrote. “Notably, the defendant additionally said, ‘I informed [a third-party who I reside with] by no means to go away me alone with the children.’”