A year-old pastor accused of carrying on a lengthy sexual relationship with a Murrieta girl was charged Thursday with 34 felonies, court records show. According to the church website, Anderson is married with six children. A former Marine and Fontana native, he and his wife founded the church in , the website said.
Anderson faces multiple counts of lewd acts with a child under 14, statutory rape and other sex offenses dating to , court records show. Prosecutor Julie Baldwin said in court that Anderson was a foster parent and that the foster children have been removed from his home. His wife, Angelica Anderson, attended the hearing with several supporters. She declined to comment. Investigators sought a high bail because the girl said Anderson told her he would leave the country if police came after him, court records show.
The mother, who sought help from the church because she was a victim of domestic violence, also had worked in the church office, Murrieta police Sgt. Phil Gomez said. The Press-Enterprise does not routinely identify possible victims of sexual crimes or members of their families.
Mother and daughter left the church and moved to Murrieta, court records indicate. The mother reported to Murrieta police in October that she suspected Anderson and her then year-old daughter were sexually involved.
At the time, Gomez said, the investigation stalled because the girl denied having sex with Anderson. Recently, she discovered e-mail messages suggesting a continuing relationship, Gomez said. When confronted with the evidence in recent days, the daughter reluctantly admitted she had had numerous sexual encounters with Anderson, the police sergeant said. Gomez said that when Anderson and the girl saw each other, it was exclusively for sex.
