Orange County Youth Pastor Sentenced for Statutory Rape

Under California law, Unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor (statutory rape) occurs when the victim is considered incapable of giving legal consent because they are under 18 years of age, even if the intercourse is consensual. A former youth church pastor, Daniel John Pedroza, 28, has been sentenced to 90 days in jail for having sex with a 17-year-old girl he met through his youth ministry. Pedroza pleaded guilty to three California felony counts  of unlawful sexual intercourse, two counts of oral copulation of a minor and one count of sexual penetration by foreign object of a minor. Prosecutors asked the judge to give Pedroza a one-year-sentence. But the judge instead gave him 90 days and placed him on five years of probation.

Pedroza apparently met the girl at the Capistrano Beach church. Their relationship is said to have taken place between July 1 and December 1 at his home and hers when her parents were not home, prosecutors said. The girl told about their sexual relationship to Orange County Social Services staff. Pedroza was then fired by the church and charged.

The consequences for a sex crime conviction may range from probation to a lifetime in jail in certain circumstances. Additionally, almost any conviction will include mandatory lifetime sex offender registration, a label that will govern where you are able to live and work. Being labeled a sex offender carries with it serious social consequences - friends, business associates and even family members may no longer want to be involved in your life.

Don't let a conviction for a sex crime ruin your life and destroy your future. If you, or someone you know has been arrested or is under investigation for a sex crime,  Contact Los Angeles sex crimes defense lawyer Robert Bernstein regarding your case to defend your rights. As a former prosecutor, Attorney Bernstein has the experience with both sides of the criminal process to provide you with most effective, aggressive representation in all aspects of your criminal case.