A former Prattville youth leader pleaded guilty on Feb. 25 to misdemeanor child-sex charges.
Rodolfo Luna Chavez, 52, was originally indicted on felony sexual abuse charges, along with a charge of enticing a child for immoral purposes. The charges were reduced to sexual abuse in the second degree, a misdemeanor, after the state dropped the enticing a child charge and agreed to drop sexual abuse charges in a related case with another victim, according to the Montgomery Advertiser.
Sexual abuse in the second degree includes any alleged instances when an accused person who is older than 19 has sexual contact with someone between the ages of 12 and 16.
Chavez was the youth leader at Open Acres Baptist Church, Prattville. Open Acres pastor Ron Davis said the church became aware of the accusations against Chavez (who went by the nickname “Rudy”) when one of the girl’s grandmothers spoke to church leaders. Later the father of the second girl filed charges against Chavez.
Church action
Davis said Chavez resigned from his church offices prior to a called meeting at which Davis and church deacons were to decide how to handle the accusations.
Both girls were under the age of 16 and members of the youth group, but the girls were not participating in a sanctioned youth event, Davis said.
The abuse occurred at Chavez’s home in Prattville in June of 2018, court records show. Chavez admitted in court proceedings that he subjected the victim to sexual contact.
Chavez was sentenced to six months in the Autauga Metro Jail. Upon release, he will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, Chief Assistant District Attorney C.J. Robinson told the Montgomery Advertiser.
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