A Chicago pastor is facing charges after he allegedly sexually abused his two nieces for years after he was entrusted with their guardianship, prosecutors said on Thursday.
Pastor Bertin Salgado of Iglesia Manantial de Vida in Chicago’s West Englewood neighborhood faces a charge of predatory criminal sexual assault and two charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, officials said.
Salgado was entrusted with the guardianship of his two nieces after they came to live in Chicago and they lived with him through years of abuse, prosecutors alleged.
He allegedly abused one of his nieces between May 2000 and May 2002 at Iglesia Manantial de Vida, located at 6010 S. Ashland Ave., starting when she was 9 years old, and allegedly abused his other niece between June 2000 through June 2019 at his residence and the church starting when she was 8 years old, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said he would abuse one of his nieces “on an almost daily basis” and he also told her that “if she told anyone about the abuse, they would not believe her because he is a pastor.”
It is also alleged that one of the nieces, at the age of 12, told Salgado’s wife about the abuse and she did nothing about it.
The alleged abuse came to light after one of the victims applied to volunteer at the church and told another pastor at the church about the abuse she and her sister had endured during the vetting process. Another pastor at the church launched an investigation and asked both victims to write letters describing what happened, which they did, prosecutors said.
The matter was reported to police in late April by the pastor and Salgado was taken into custody on July 20.
When police questioned Salgado about the account given by his nieces, he told the officers that they did complain to his wife, “but it was just because he would hug them” and that he stopped, according to prosecutors.
Salgado, who has no criminal background, was released on electronic monitoring at a detention hearing on Thursday, officials said. He is also ordered to not have any contact with the victims, witnesses or anyone under 18 years old.
He is scheduled to appear in court next on August 12.
Iglesia Manantial de Vida did not immediately respond to NBC Chicago’s request for comment.
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