Laguna Hills, CA – Any good works performed by the leader of a small Laguna Hills congregation, were "wiped out" by the sexual assaults he committed against five young boys he was grooming as "ministers," a California judge said Friday.
Oscar D. Perez, 69, was sentenced to 330 years in state prison, the maximum possible, for molesting boys who trusted him implicitly—in some cases more than their own family, Orange County Judge Steven Bromberg said at the sentencing.
"You are a predator," Bromberg told the pedophile priest through a Spanish-language translator in the Santa Ana courtoom. "You are dangerous, and whatever can be accomplished to keep you in prison" should be done.
Earlier, a member of Perez's congregation praised the minister, choking up as he spoke. Gabriel Salgado said Perez helped families stay together during tough times and kept young members of the congregation out of trouble.
"If it wasn't for him, it would have been me in [court]," said Salgado, who has known Perez 14 years and likened him to a grandfather.
Even in prison, Perez will continue to help others and do good, Salgado predicted.
The judge disagreed, saying "the defendant is not a good person" and his actions were "despicable."
If anything, the trial merely scratched the surface of Perez's transgressions, the judge said. "These were not isolated incidents," Bromberg said, referring to "disturbing and graphic" evidence presented during the case. "This conduct ... was pervasive."
After the sentencing, prosecutor Jennifer Walker said she was proud of the young victims who gave testimony in court for their courage during the trial. "Now they've had their day of justice," she said.
During the trial, Perez's attorney, Case Barnett, blamed the accusations on "misunderstandings" and said his client was actually giving the boys sex education and tips on hygiene.
Barnett attributed the criminal charges to "public hysteria and police influence," claiming investigators pressured the boys into allegations against Perez.
Perez claimed to be a bishop at Iglesia Antigua, or Old Church, which at the time of his arrest rented space at St. George's Episcopalian Church in Laguna Hills. Perez's church is not affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church or the Diocese of Orange. His church has largely disbanded, with only some members who get together for Bible study, Barnett said.
- Read more about the trial:
Perez was arrested in September 2011 after the mother of a young boy who had recently slept over at the pastor's Lake Forest home called police.
- Read more about the initial arrest:
After Perez was convicted, the jury foreman wrote an article for Patch describing the trial.
- Read the jury foreman's account:
http://www.tonic.com/post/carmela-wiant-money-burge-next-of-kin-law-changing-lives/
The world is full of "bad seeds" and always has been. "Adults... grow up...accept our part in this and lets stop it, the best we can." Protect the innocent instead of blaming someone or something else. Criminals (dangerous to humans, not our pocket book) "convicted" (by the court-not the media) should be locked up without parole, period!! (don't say it's too expensive--spend some of my tax paying $$ on this rather than a "new" bridge, park, street, building, toilet seat, painted walls, etc.) and attempt to solve the problem--not complain about it.)
I hope someone holds that judge accountable for his actions putting you in jail for 330 years. Again good luck guy !
These guy are self ordained and as it says in the articule he has no affiliations with Episcopal or Roman Catholic organizations. He is just a regular pedifile pervert that gave himself the name of "Bishop" to gain trust and to manipulate young minds. Just the same as Jerry Sandusky did with his "second mile" charity home for young troubled boys.
We forgive our kids for the things they do wrong, but they are punished for their actions nevertheless.
I've covered this site completely, and as heinous as these crimes are I haven't read one comment for a punishment for the Catholic Priest and Bishops who sodomised countless numbers of children. After reading all thee heinous details nothing was done except relocate the priest to another parish and hope he will stop sexuallly abusing children. The bishops and others in the hierarchy were just as guilty by attempting a coverup, and for them to knowingly send a Pedophile priest to another parish after knowing what he had done in his own parish--they never stop abusing children, they abuse simply because they were abused. I also read a short article suggesting we should try the muslim faith. The Muslims in almost every Muslim nation are killing Americans on a daily basis. My question to the Muslim who wrote that short diatribe, would the Muslim countries be willing to take Barack Hussein Obama out of America. A lot of people are filled with hatred against Muslims who flew airliners into The World Trade Center, murdering over 3000 of good Christian citizens in our country. We just an anniversary remembering the American's whom were murdered by Muslims. If you Muslims would turn to our God,and his son Jesus Christ, he will put a love in your muslim hearts for all people. The catholic church needs to check their clergy for signs of pedophilia, a blessing doesn't stop the predator.
He has been caught, but has moved onto other churches and fresh meat. Please be warned of this pure evil that exists amongst us!