Man who allegedly molested boy in Tucson church pews faces new criminal charges
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A man who allegedly molested three boys from his Tucson church has been indicted a second time for felony child sex crimes — this time, relating to the alleged abuse of a boy during church services in the early 2000s.
Jose Mora, 58, has been in jail since April for an ongoing criminal case alleging that he abused two boys who were fellow members of his Tucson church, the Golden Dawn Tabernacle. The charges in that case were based in part on information uncovered in an Arizona Daily Star/Lee Enterprises investigation in which Mora publicly admitted to touching an 11-year-old boy’s genital area.
In September, a third victim, Marcello, came forward to the Star and alleged that Mora groped him repeatedly in church and sexually assaulted him at another congregant’s house. The new criminal case stems from those allegations.
Mora was charged in February with two new felony counts, continuous sexual abuse of a child and sexual conduct with a minor under age 15. He had his initial appearance on Feb. 24.
Part of the alleged sexual abuse occurred over a period of more than three months from 1999 to 2002, according to the indictment. The indictment also alleges that Mora forced his penis into the victim’s anus during an incident in 2002.
The indictment tracks with what Marcello told the Star in September. Marcello, who asked to go by his first name only, said Mora molested him hundreds of times in the church pews as their pastor preached. He said Mora hid the abuse with his blazer. The incidents started in 1999 when Marcello was 11, and Mora was 35, Marcello said.
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