Richmond pastor convicted of sexually assaulting child

RICHMOND — A Richmond pastor is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury convicted him of sexually assaulting a child, prosecutors said.

Emilio Alberto Esperanza-Pacheco, 52, was found guilty Wednesday on five counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 14 and 10 counts of forcible lewd acts upon a child, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said the crimes occurred between June 1, 2023, and Oct. 14, 2023. At the time, Esperanza-Pacheco was serving as a pastor at God’s Lighthouse of Truth Church, where the victim and her family were members and became friends with him.

Esperanza-Pacheco used his position in the church and his friendship with the family to keep the victim from telling anyone about the abuse, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors said the victim eventually found the courage to tell her parents about the sexual assaults.

Officers arrested Esperanza-Pacheco on Oct. 13, 2023. He has remained in custody since then.

Esperanza-Pacheco is scheduled to be sentenced April 9, according to prosecutors.

“The penalty the defendant is facing reflects the gravity of the crimes committed against a child,” District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement. “While no outcome can undo the trauma suffered by the victim, we hope the verdict provides some sense of justice and allows her and her family to move forward with a degree of closure.”