Former OC Youth Pastor Charged With Molesting Fourth Teen Boy: OCDA

LAKE FOREST, CA — A former Saddleback Church youth pastor currently awaiting retrial for sexual assault has been charged with molesting a fourth teenage boy he met through the church, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said Wednesday.

Lake Forest resident Ruven Meulenberg, 39, was originally convicted in 2018 of molesting twin brothers — identified as John Doe 1 and John Doe 2. The boys were between the ages of 13 and 14 years old while they attended his youth ministry at Saddleback Church, Spitzer said.

According to the prosecution, Meulenberg is accused of molesting the twin brothers between May 2016 and May 2017. The assaults took place during visits to a local movie theater and while hanging out together in the pastor's car, prosecutors said.

According to court records, in 2018 Meulenberg was convicted with one felony count of a lewd act on a child under the age of 14, and two felony counts of a lewd act on a child 14-15 years old and at least 10 years young then the defendant.

However, the conviction was overturned after an appellate court ruled that a juror shared information with other jurors regarding psychiatric testing of subjects in criminal trials.

Meulenberg is currently awaiting retrial, Spitzer said.

However, while the retrial was still pending, a new victim — identified only as John Doe 3 — came forward to report that he met the pastor through Saddleback Church and had also been sexually assaulted by Meulenberg when he was 13.

According to Spitzer, the victim alleged that he was invited to the movies and dinner by Meulenberg between August 2016 and September 2017. Meulenberg is accused of molesting the victim on one or more occasions, he said. The witness testimony added four felony counts of a lewd act on a child under the age of 14 as charges against Meulenberg.

Most recently, a fourth victim — John Doe 4 — disclosed to local law enforcement that, too, had been touched inappropriately by Meulenberg between June 2017 and June 2018 while the youth pastor drove him home from a church event, authorities said. He was 14 at the time of the assault.

As a result of John Doe 4’s disclosures, last week, Orange County prosecutors amended the charges to include a criminal charge of one felony count of a lewd act upon a child 14 or 15 years old who is at least 10 years younger than the defendant.

“Strong mentors are meant to help our children navigate the difficulties of growing up and realize their full potential,” Spitzer said in a news release. “Instead of providing the spiritual guidance he pretended to provide, this youth pastor seized on the vulnerabilities of these children for his own sick sexual gratification. He has not only forever shaken their belief in anyone in a position of trust and authority; he has irreparably damaged their faith and the faith of countless other parishioners who believed their children were safe with him and youth pastors everywhere.”

According to prosecutors, Meulenberg is eligible for a life sentence if convicted. He faces a maximum sentence of 100 years to life, plus 10 years, eight months if convicted on all charges in both cases.

He remains released on GPS monitoring while awaiting trial on both criminal cases.