Jose Andres Lopez, of Mission Viejo, was arrested Wednesday, Aug. 26 at a home in San Juan Capistrano and was booked on suspicion of committing lewd acts on a girl.
Lopez volunteered as a pastor at Pacific Hills Calvary Chapel in Aliso Viejo between 2003 and 2005 and as a parking lot attendant at Compass Bible Church in Aliso Viejo between 2012 and 2020.
The arrest came days after the victim came forward to authorities on Sunday, Aug. 23 and reported he began molesting her in 2010, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Authorities would not give her exact age but said only she was under 10 years old when the alleged acts started.
The arrest of Lopez is just more example of the epidemic of sexual abuse by clergy in Orange County .The experienced and dedicated sexual abuse attorneys at Manly, Stewart& Finaldi have represented victims of abuse by clergy throughout the United States. Our team of highly skilled attorneys led the effort to recover more than one BILLION dollars in damages on behalf of the victims of Catholic priests and other clergy.
Due to Lopez having been a pastor with continued access and contact with children over the past 17 years, Sheriff’s investigators believe there is a strong likelihood that additional, undiscovered victims exist who have not yet been identified. Authorities ask anyone with information to call and report. Anonymous information can be submitted to Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.