Santa Ana Police Detectives arrested Carlos Ramirez Valdez, a 57-year-old resident of Riverside, California for Child Molest.

Between 2014 and 2017, Valdez was a member of the “Iglesia De Dios Ebenezer Church” located at 2020 West Chestnut Ave. in Santa Ana, California. During that time, Valdez lured an eight-year-old girl that was attending church service into a van where he sexually assaulted her.

Valdez repeatedly assaulted the victim by luring her into a van over a period of three years.

In January 2020, the Riverside Police Department investigated a sexual abuse allegation against Valdez. The abuse was said to have occurred in 2017 when the victim was eight years old. Also in January 2020, a third victim reported being sexually abused by Valdez to the Garden Grove Police Department. This abuse was said to have occurred in 2015. The victims in both of these cases knew Valdez through the church.

Valdez became a pastor and is now a pastor at the International Mission Church USA located at 505 South Main Street in Santa Ana, California.

Valdez was booked at the Orange County Jail for numerous child molest charges and his bail has been set at $100,000.00.

The Santa Ana Police Department detectives believe there could be additional victims. Detectives are asking for anyone with information to contact Detective J. Gaeta at (714) 245-8350, jgaeta@santa-ana.org or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.