Youth pastor accused of sexual relationship with teen

The Orange County Register ^ | Thursday, December 18, 2008 | CHRIS CAESAR

[tom h]

DANA POINT – Capo Beach Calvary Church's junior high ministry director was arrested at the church this morning on suspicion of having a "sexual relationship" with a teenage female enrolled in his program. Daniel J. Pedroza Jr., 28, of San Clemente will be charged with six felony counts, Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino said. "We received a child-abuse report from social services detailing that a minor female between the ages of 14 and 18 disclosed she had been engaged in a sexual relationship with her youth pastor," he said. Investigators arrested Pedroza at the Capistrano Beach church around 10:30 a.m. today. “I’m aware that there is an investigation going on, and I am fully cooperating with the authorities,” church pastor Craig Whittaker said. He declined further comment on the case, citing the ongoing investigation. Amormino said investigators think there may be additional victims, and he urged anyone with more information to contact the Sheriff's Department at 714-628-7170.

[tom h]

Wow. Only a few miles from our home in So Cal.

Even in churches I expect that these things will happen but there are some very important cautions to any church before hiring a youth pastor.

First, NEVER hire a young man who is unmarried. I don't care how devoted a Christian he seems, or how stellar his background, if he is in his 20s and single he will struggle with being chaste around teenaged girls. It is a GIVEN that one of the gals will have a crush on him, leading to more someday.

Second, I for the life of me can't understand why churches hire cool dudes that look like this to be a pastor, much less a custodian:

Don't judge a book by its cover, I know, but the slovenliness that accompanies cool nowadays just doesn't work for me. I wouldn't let my daughter date a bozo like that, even if he was a Christian and a youth pastor.

[library user]

First, NEVER hire a young man who is unmarried.

Yes, because MARRIED young men never cheat. /s

[Radl]

You beat me to it.

[SoftballMominVA]

Hmmm.....sexual predators go where the children are.....what a radical concept..... One would have thought that this type of atrocity only occurred in public schools.

So much for being safe from sexual deviants if one doesn’t attend a public school huh?

[adopt4Christ]

I have known several young women who were seduced by their youth pastors. ALL of the pastors were single men in their 20’s. One got pregnant by him. All were fired. Each time, I blamed the church pastoral staff for being so foolish as to hire an unmarried (and unattached) youth pastor.

[Mark was here]

My Grandmother was having sexual relations with my Grandfather when she was 15. This is the age she was when she got married. I do not consider a woman old enough to get married, a child. I would suggest the minister and his lady friend get married asap and live happily ever after.

[CE2949BB]

if he is in his 20s and single he will struggle with being chaste around teenaged girls. It is a GIVEN that one of the gals will have a crush on him, leading to more someday.

Bingo.

Don't judge a book by its cover,

I disagree.

You can tell a lot about a book based on the cover (in most cases), but be open to new information.

I wouldn't let my daughter date a bozo like that,

You'd let your daughter date... at all? ;)

[ccmay]

This can’t be possible, he’s not a Catholic priest.

[retrokitten]

Where's the "cool dude"? Standing out of the frame?

I guess my mom was right- your face will stay that way if you keep making it!

[stormer]

Didn’t you read the article? It was a girl, not a boy.

[XR7]

[T]here are some very important cautions to any church before hiring a youth pastor. First, NEVER hire a young man who is unmarried.

Yes.
Hire them to coach girls' high school and jr. high soccer teams!

[Joe Boucher]

WHY does a male get charged with 6 felony counts where if it had been an adult female having sexual relations with an underage male there would be NO charges?

[SlapHappyPappy]

I saw essentially the same thing happen at another church. They hired young men right out of seminary to work with the youth and one of them kept getting a little more attention from some of the girls than was appropriate. Unfortunately he didn’t do what he should have and gone to the Youth Pastor and told him what was happening. People didn’t even realize it was odd that, on more than one occasion, he was suddenly publicly dating girls shortly after they graduated and weren’t in the youth program anymore.

[JimSEA]

Don't judge a book by its cover

When miners and field hands I have known look better than your Minister, things have gotten too strange for me. Agree 100% with you.

[Phoenix11]

if it had been an adult female having sexual relations with an underage male there would be NO charges...

Do you mean just in the church? Unfortunately, there are too many cases in the public school system of female teachers having sexual relations with underage male students and the ones who have been caught have faced charges.

[RC2]

People treat this as something new in humanity. It’s been going on since the beginning of time. In the 1800’s, in our country, men married young girls all the time. I’m not saying this is right, what this young man did, but it happens and it’s been going on forever. Along with that, women seem to go after Priest in the Catholic church all the time. It’s like a challenge to them. It’s very difficult for any man to refuse a woman when it’s thrown in their face.

[library user]

He just looks stunned to me.

[NRA2BFree]

Second, I for the life of me can't understand why churches hire cool dudes that look like this to be a pastor, much less a custodian:

I disagree about him looking like a "cool dude." He looks like a real sicko. Just look at his eyes. No wonder America is going down. God can't be happy! How can we ever be a witness to others when we don't even have leaders in the church to set a good example.

[XR7]

It’s very difficult for any man to refuse a woman when it’s thrown in their face.

What?

[Theodore R.]

When I was young in church there were no “youth ministers”, just the pastor for ALL. No one had thought of the extra expense for youth ministers.