<p>An illegal immigrant with a rap sheet is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl at a Kentucky church while serving as her pastor, The Daily Wire has learned.</p>
<p>Mexican illegal immigrant Jose Lopez-Hernandez, 52, snuck across the border at an unknown time before he landed in Covington, Kentucky, where he became a pastor, using &#8220;his position&#8221; &#8220;to lure&#8221; the young girl, the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday.</p>
<p>Lopez-Hernandez was ordered last month to spend two years in prison for his crimes, but his attorney said his 862 days of time served credit covers his sentence, <a href="https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/09/covington-church-pastor-sentenced-for-sexually-abusing-teen-girl/89063982007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Cincinnati Enquirer.</p>
<p>Authorities first learned of Lopez-Hernandez in September 2023 after receiving a report of sexual abuse at the Ministerio Jesus Liberta Church on East Ninth Street, the local news outlet reported. Lopez-Hernandez asked the then-14-year-old and her cousin to come to his office when they were attending her church with family on a Sunday.</p>
<p>The Mexican national eventually told the girl&#8217;s cousin to leave the office and asked the 14-year-old to stay with him, according to the report. The pastor then locked the door and began kissing and touching the girl.</p>
<p>She eventually pushed his hands away, leaving the office to tell her dad. The girl had a bruise on her neck that was consistent with &#8220;aggressive kissing,&#8221; witnesses told police.</p>
<p>The illegal immigrant then fled to the sanctuary state of California for a mission trip, skipping his return flight, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.</p>
<p>Covington Police learned that he didn&#8217;t plan to return and notified the FBI, the outlet reported.</p>
<p>In October 2023, federal agents arrested Lopez-Hernandez in Salinas, California, according to the report. More than two years later, he pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual abuse.</p>
<p>Lopez-Hernandez must now complete court-ordered treatment, register as a sex offender for 20 years, and stay away from the now-16-year-old victim, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.</p>
<p>Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has since lodged a detainer with local authorities, asking them &#8220;not release this sexual predator from jail to prey on more innocent children.&#8221;</p>
<p>Before his latest arrest, Lopez-Hernandez was previously released by police in Kentucky after two arrests for theft, forgery, and reckless and careless driving, according to DHS.</p>
<p>&#8220;ICE law enforcement lodged a detainer asking Kentucky to not release this sexual predator from jail to prey on more innocent children. This criminal was previously released despite multiple criminal arrests,” Acting Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.</p>
<p>“These are the types of heinous criminals ICE is targeting every single day. Instead of demonizing our ICE officers and protecting criminals, Governor Beshear needs to work with our law enforcement to get these criminal illegal aliens out of our country,&#8221; she added.</p>

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Illegal Immigrant Pastor Sexually Assaulted Teen Girl. Now His Lawyer Says He’s Served Enough Time.