A Long Island-area pastor has pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. Jose Saez Jr., formerly of Iglesia Cristiana Alumbrando El Camino in Brentwood, New York, was charged with production of child sex abuse material (CSAM) in 2023 after federal agents “conducted a cursory review” of his phone.
Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of child sex abuse that some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.
Saez, 29, faces a minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years behind bars. He is a father of three.
In a statement released on Tuesday (March 11), the district attorney’s office characterized Saez’s crimes as “unspeakable.”
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“The defendant’s sexual exploitation of minors, both in person and online, is horrific, and he now faces at least 15 years in prison for his unspeakable crimes,” said District Attorney John J. Durham.
“That he held a position of trust and responsibility as a pastor of a local church makes his conduct even more reprehensible,” Durham said. “Protecting vulnerable children from predators like this defendant will always be a priority of this Office.”
An acting assistant director for the FBI said that Saez “not only admitted to sexually abusing young children, but also discussed his church and his congregants as targets of additional abuse.”
“His sustained exploitation of children—in person and online—is clear, and this plea is a step forward on the road to justice for his victims,” the acting assistant director added. “Children are among the most vulnerable in our communities, and the FBI will stop at nothing to make sure they are protected and the monsters who would do them harm are put behind bars.”
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Prosecutors said that Saez used an encrypted messaging service to send sexually explicit messages to an undercover agent. Investigators said that in the course of these conversations, which occurred in August 2023, Saez claimed to have sexually abused an infant and said that his “sweet spot” was molesting children between the ages of 11 and 15.
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