Jurupa Valley pastor, 51, arrested in sexual assault of underage parishioner

JURUPA VALLEY (KABC) -- The lead pastor at a church in Jurupa Valley has been arrested on allegations of sexual assault against an underage female parishioner.

Sean Ortiz, the 51-year-old lead pastor at New Beginnings Community Church, is accused of sexually assaulting a minor female parishioner on at least two occasions.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department says the girl contacted deputies to report the alleged assault at her church.

Ortiz was arrested at his home Friday night and booked on suspicion of two counts of felony sexual battery.

He was released on $50,000 bail.

The church released a statement on Facebook to make sure parishioners were aware of the situation:

"We are aware of a possible situation concerning Sean Ortiz which we are in the initial stages of finding out the details. We want to be proactive and err on the side of cautionary proper practice, so we are making you aware of this today. The board will keep you informed as the situation would dictate. Thank you for your trust and know that we care about each person which calls Jurupa Valley Campus their family and their home."