80-year-old missionary charged with molesting young girls in Tustin

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 16CF0858

Date: April 5, 2016

LAW ENFORCEMENT SEEKS PUBLIC’S HELP IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL VICTIMS OF 80-YEAR-OLD MISSIONARY CHARGED WITH SEXUALLY ASSULTING TWO GIRLS UNDER AGE 10

SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office and the Tustin Police Department (TPD) are seeking the public’s help identifying potential additional victims of an 80-year-old missionary charged with sexually assaulting two girls under the age of 10. Douglas Dale Whinery, 80, Tustin, is charged with four felony counts of lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14, and two felony counts of oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child 10 years old or younger, with a sentencing enhancement allegation for committing lewd acts upon multiple victims. If convicted, Whinery faces a maximum sentence of 100 years to life in state prison. Whinery was arraigned today, and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on April 12, 2016, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

At the time of the crime, Whinery was a former pastor and missionary and was actively involved at Olive Crest Church in Santa Ana, Foothills Church in Rancho Santa Margarita, and Grace Church in Yorba Linda. The defendant had access to children.

Around Nov. 7, 2011, Whinery is accused of approaching 10-year-old Jane Doe 1 and her relative, 8-year-old Jane Doe 2, while they were in a park in Tustin.

Whinery is accused of grooming the victims by befriending the victims’ family member, providing money for a place to live, taking the victims to school, having the victims spend the night in his home, and inviting them to attend church with him.

On multiple occasions between Nov. 7, 2011, and March 28, 2016, Whinery is accused of abusing his position of trust and sexually assaulting Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, including orally copulating the victims, while the victims were alone with him.

On March 28, 2016, Jane Doe 2 reported the sexual assault to a family member, who contacted TPD, who began investigating this case and subsequently arrested the defendant on March 30, 2016.

The investigation in this case is ongoing. Anyone with additional information or who believes that they may have been a victim is encouraged to contact Supervising District Attorney Investigator Mark Gutierrez at (714)347-8794 or TPD Detective Sergeant Nichols at 714-573-3257.

Deputy District Attorney Whitney Bokosky of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.

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TONY RACKAUCKAS, District Attorney

Susan Kang Schroeder, Chief of Staff
Office: 714-347-8408
Cell: 714-292-2718

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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