A South Texas pastor was arrested and charged with multiple counts of indecency with a child earlier this week.
Jorge Gonzalez Martinez, 49, was arrested at Iglesia Internacional Poder y Gloria in Edinburg, Texas, on Monday, according to ValleyCentral. The alleged incidents occurred between March 2025 and April 2025.
According to ValleyCentral, multiple children have come forward with accusations against Martinez. Edinburg police Chief Jaime Ayala said the investigation was prompted after one girl came forward with allegations. The initial report was filed earlier this month.
Ayala told reporters that he hopes that, if there are any other victims, they will come forward and know the police will take the case seriously.
“Part of why we wanted to push this out, if there’s potentially any other victims that are out there, that have not made an outcry, maybe this helps them have the confidence to bring it forward so that we can investigate it and take the action that we need to take,” Ayala told ValleyCentral.
On Tuesday, Martinez was charged with one count of indecency with a child – exposure and three counts of indecency with a child sexual contact. A judge set Martinez’s bail at $300,000.
Police say the investigation is ongoing. Ayala described the case as one that “hits you in the gut.”
“What hurts most in this case is that it was a pastor. A pastor is not someone you suspect is going to hurt your children,” Ayala said in a video posted by CBS 4 News. “No child should go through what this child went through.”