Associate Pastor at Norwalk Church Accused in Sex Abuse of 20+ Female Parishioners

Norwalk sheriff's officials announced Thursday the recent arrest of a local pastor who is accused of sexually assaulting more than 20 women at his church over the course of eight years.

53-year-old Jorge Juan Castro has worked at Las Buenas Nuevas Church in Norwalk as an associate pastor and counselor since he moved to the United States from Argentina in 2004, according to a statement issued by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Officials say that the alleged attacks-- in which the man "preyed upon the victims' vulnerability"-- occurred between Oct. 2004 through Sept. 2012 against adult women at the Christian church; many who are Spanish-speaking, undocumented immigrants.

"He did this by invoking fear by threatening to tell the victims if they reported him he would have the victims deported, while additionally threatening to expose the victims to public embarrassment and ridicule," the sheriff's statement explained.

The women, ranging in age from 18 to 39, allegedly came forward to a "third party," who then contacted sheriff's officials.

"On September 13, 2013, working with the Sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau lead investigator, detectives from the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau/Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, located and arrested 53-year old Suspect Jorge Juan Castro, a resident of Norwalk," the sheriff's statement said.  "He was arrested at his Norwalk home."

Castro was booked on $2 million dollars bail stemming from an arrest warrant for six felony charges, including: Rape (261(a) (2) P.C.), Oral Copulation (288a(a) (c)(2) P.C.), and Penetration by a foreign object, (289(a)(1)(A) P.C.), according to the sheriff's department.

Authorities say Castro also works as an associate pastor at a church in Riverside County, but there are no known victims there.

Special Victims Bureau detectives are requesting the public’s help in locating possible additional victims.

If you or anyone you know has information or needs assistance in connection with this investigation, please contact Sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau detectives at (877) 710-5273 (LASD) or emailSpecialVictims@lasd.org SE HABLA ESPAñOL. Or if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org