06 Feb Richmond Pastor Convicted of Sexual Abuse of Young Churchgoer

(Contra Costa County via Bay City News)

By Bay City News

A Richmond pastor faces the possibility of life in prison after being convicted this week of sexually assaulting a child over a period of five months in 2023.

A Contra Costa County jury found Emilio Alberto Esperanza-Pacheco guilty on Wednesday of five counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 14, and 10 counts of forcible lewd acts upon a child.

Esperanza-Pacheco, 52, was a pastor at God’s Lighthouse of Truth Church in Richmond, where the victim and her family were members and became friends with him, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.

The abuse took place between June 1 and Oct. 14, 2023.  Prosecutors said Esperanza-Pacheco used his position with the church and his friendship with the family to silence the victim, but she eventually told her parents about the abuse.

The jury also found Esperanza-Pacheco guilty of committing a forcible lewd act upon a child during a burglary.
Judge Danielle Douglas set a sentencing date for Esperanza-Pacheco on April 9 at the Martinez courthouse. He faces life without the possibility of parole.

“The penalty the defendant is facing reflects the gravity of the crimes committed against a child. While no outcome can undo the trauma suffered by the victim, we hope the verdict provides some sense of justice and allows her and her family to move forward with a degree of closure,” District Attorney Diana Becton said.

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