A Waterbury church leader has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges for persuading a 14-year-old to send him sexually explicit photos and videos, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
Miguel Torres, 45, met the girl through his wife's youth group at the Iglesia Cristiana Fuente de Agua Viva Church in Waterbury. According to the warrant for his arrest, Torres told the teen he would be her mentor.
Federal prosecutors said Torres swapped cellphone numbers with the teen and started asking her for sexually explicit photos and videos in June 2013. The conversations turned graphic, and both sent each other sexual images.
Torres told the teen he had "engaged in sexual conduct with other girls" in an effort to make her more comfortable, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
The criminal complaint also alleges the two had sexual contact in church.
"I met him in the hallway," the teen told authorities, according to court paperwork. "Miguel came close to me and started... kissing me."
The teen's mother discovered the text messages in August 2013 and called the police, according to the arrest warrant.
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Torres pleaded guilty in federal court in March to one count of enticing a minor and he was sentenced 10 years prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release.
The church pastor declined to comment on the case at the time of Torres' arrest.
