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Monterey County Sheriff’s investigators have arrested Emmanuel Marchica of San Benito County on charges he sexually assaulted multiple underage victims dating back to 2012.
Marchica, 51, is a pastor in the Hidden Valley Community on Cienega Road, according to a Monterey County Sheriff’s Office news release.
The release indicated law enforcement was made aware of ongoing allegations involving the sexual abuse of a child on July 5. It said the case was immediately assigned to investigators who conducted interviews with witnesses and were able to identify several victims.
Based on evidence investigators gathered, the release said, Marchica was arrested and booked into the Monterey County Jail on July 10.
According to the release, Marchica was “currently serving as a pastor and offering religious services on a regular basis at a community gathering center” in Hidden Valley.
The release said Marchica also “previously owned bakery businesses in Prunedale and Monterey, as well as gyms in Sand City, Seaside and Prunedale, where he was offering physical therapy and massage therapy services. He was also a Jiu Jitsu instructor.”
Marchica has been booked on multiple felony charges, including: Lewd or Lascivious Acts with a Child; Sexual Penetration of a Child; Oral Copulation with a Child; and Annoying or Molesting a Child.
Marchica’s bail has been set at $17.5 million.
“The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who may have been victimized by Marchica, or anyone with information that may assist investigators, to contact us,” the press release said. “Regardless of when the abuse may have occurred, investigators encourage victims to know that they will be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect throughout the investigative process.”
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging anyone with information to contact Detective Janelli Arroyo at (831) 755-7261 or Detective Sergeant Nicholas Kennedy at (831) 755-3773.
The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour and Taylor Farms.
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