Man ‘asked for forgiveness’ after molesting children he met at church, Texas cops say
BY DAWSON WHITE
DECEMBER 05, 2019 08:14 AM, UPDATED DECEMBER 05, 2019 08:49 AM
A man in Texas was arrested on Tuesday after police say he molested seven children, a number of whom he met through church.
Police in San Antonio began investigating Joshua Alvarez, 21, back in October when they were contacted about a “sexual offense” against two 4-year-old boys, KSAT reported.
Police in Texas say Joshua Alvarez, 21, molested seven children between 2012 and 2019, five of whom he met at church. BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
Not long after, police say Alvarez met with parents of five other children and “confessed to them that he touched their children inappropriately and asked for forgiveness,” according to the news outlet.
Between Oct. 19 and Nov. 27, six boys and one girl said Alvarez had touched them inappropriately or performed sex acts on them between 2012 and 2019, the San Antonio Express-News reported. The children were between ages 3 and 10 at the times of the alleged offenses, court documents say, according to the Express-News.
Alvarez is accused of meeting five of the children through church, WOAI reported. A congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses told the outlet he attended services at their Kingdom Hal in San Antonio.
Representatives from the Jehovah’s Witness national headquarters told WOAI that Alvarez is no longer a Jehovah’s Witness, decrying “child sexual abuse as an especially repugnant wicked deed.”
Alvarez faces charges of continuous sexual abuse of a child and was released on $75,000 bond, according to court documents.
Read more here: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article238065819.html#storylink=cpy
Alvarez is accused of molesting several children he met through what police would only say is a ‘religious congregation.’
No one at the Kingdom Hall here was willing to talk to me on camera.
According to court papers, two 4-year-old boys told their parents that Alvarez performed sexual acts on them. Alvarez allegedly confessed to the crimes to the victim’s parents.
In total there are seven alleged victims ages between 3 to 10 years old. Investigators believe the allegations go as far back as 2012.
“The number one priority of the Watchtower organization is to protect its name not to protect the victims,” said Keith Walker, president of Evidence Ministries, an organization that he says helps former Jehovah’s Witnesses transition away from the church.
We contacted the Jehovah’s Witness national headquarters to get a comment. The church sent us this series of statements:
Mr. Alvarez is no longer a Jehovah’s Witness.
As Jehovah’s Witnesses, we view child sexual abuse as an especially repugnant wicked deed.
Child abuse has far-reaching consequences. It a?ects the victims as well as those who care about the victims —their family members and their Christian brothers and sisters.
A child abuser hurts the child in devastating ways. He betrays the child’s trust, robbing the child of his or her security. Children must be protected from such a wicked deed, and those who have been victimized by it need comfort and help.
The elders provide ongoing support to any individuals who may have been hurt. In addition, the elders remain alert regarding the alleged abuser to protect the congregation from potential danger.
Jasmine McGill is the founder of King’s Angels, an organization that helps abused children. She’s offering free long-term counseling for Alvarez’s alleged victims.
“I hate to say it, but a lot of different congregations -- there’s a lot of naivety with the children and some of these churches because a lot of them are sheltered. So they become very easy targets,” McGill said.
She’s hoping parents will see this report and reach out.