Former Brentwood pastor sentenced for molesting children, creating child sex abuse material
Jose Saez Jr., 30, was a pastor at Iglesia Cristiana Alumbrando El Camino when he targeted children both online and in person.
A Brentwood pastor who told an undercover officer that he had sexually abused an infant and his "sweet spot" was molesting children between 11 and 15 years old was sentenced Tuesday to 17 ½ years in prison, according to federal prosecutors.
Jose Saez Jr., 30, was a pastor at Iglesia Cristiana Alumbrando El Camino when he targeted children both online and in person.
Saez used an encrypted messaging service to engage in sexually explicit conversations with minors and an undercover law enforcement officer, and told the officer he was able to find young victims at church, prosecutors said.
In addition to coercing a 15- and 16-year-old into sending him photos and videos, Saez raped a minor he had arranged to meet in a public restroom in Mount Sinai in May 2023.
Saez may have abused dozens of children by posing as both male and female on social media. The FBI previously said that while seeking potential victims, he targeted boys.
During a court-ordered search, FBI agents recovered numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse material, including content he had solicited from minors. Prosecutors said Saez also admitted to having at least one minor produce such material for him.
Saez pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting children in March of last year. He was arrested in 2023 after the FBI received an online tip that he was having explicit conversations with underage boys.
As previously reported by News 12, Saez initially told investigators, “I’m sorry that I cannot stop.”
That was after he admitted to FBI agents he had asked multiple minors to perform sexual acts over video and that he sent the videos to at least 10 other people.
