Hudson County Pastor Sentenced For Sexual Assault Of 10-Year-Old

JERSEY CITY, NJ — A Jersey City priest was sentenced on Friday to eight years in state prison for the sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl who attended his church, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office said. He will also serve shorter, concurrent sentences for crimes against two other victims.

On Friday, Judge Patrick Arre handed down the sentences to Orlando Martinez-Chavez, 48, who is the former pastor at Iglesias Pentecostal Lirio de los Valles church.

Martinez-Chavez was convicted by a Hudson County jury in September of one count of sexual assault and one count of endangering the welfare of a minor. The crimes took place while he was serving at the church in 2013, according to the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office.

Last October, Martinez-Chavez pleaded guilty on charges related to two other victims. He was sentenced to five years for endangering the welfare of a child in connection with one victim, and to 18 months for a charge of criminal sexual contact for the other victim. He will serve his sentences for those crimes concurrently with the eight-year sentence.

A past NJ.com story said that at least one of those sentences was in connection with a juvenile relative of Martinez-Chavez who came forward. It also says that he's a father of three.

He is now required to register as a sex offender under Megan's Law, and is subject to parole supervision for life, the Prosecutor's Office said.