SAN JOSE — The religious organization that once employed a volunteer youth pastor suspected of sending sexually explicit photos of himself to a 13-year-old member of the San Jose congregation he served says it is “cooperating at all levels with law enforcement.”
“We encourage constituents to allow law enforcement to do their jobs and remember that the names and/or identities of any minors that may have been involved must be protected and contained for moral and legal reasons,” the Central California Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists said in an emailed statement late Tuesday night.
On Monday, San Jose police announced the arrest of Luis CruzCruz. The 24-year-old Fremont resident reportedly sent multiple images to the underage female victim between November and December while volunteering at Iglesia Adventista Del Séptimo Día San José (San Jose Seventh-Day Adventist Church). He was taken into custody on Jan. 17 and booked into jail on two counts of sending harmful material to a minor.
Police said an examination of CruzCruz’s electronic devices suggested he might have sent similar illicit material to other minors.
CruzCruz’s employment with the conference ended on May 6, 2017, and he was never employed by the San Jose Hispanic Seventh-Day Adventist Church, according to the statement.
Anyone with information about the case can call Detective Sgt. Brian Spears or Detective Michael O’Grady at 408-537-1397, or leave a tip with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-STOP or at svcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.
