OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A Kissimmee deacon is accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old child on church property on more than one occasion, according to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said the victim told a neighbor on Wednesday that Juan Efrain Navarro, a 79-year-old deacon at Iglesia Cristiana Luz de Salvacion, had sexually abused him. When deputies went to interview Navarro at the church property, which is where he lives, he admitted to committing sexual battery and other lewd acts on the victim since May, according to a news release.
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Navarro was arrested on four counts of capital sexual battery, four counts of lewd and lascivious molestation and six counts of lewd and lascivious battery.
"The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office is committed to protecting our children from abuse. We ask that if anyone has any information concerning this case or any other concerning the abuse or mistreatment of a child to please call law enforcement immediately," officials said in a news release.
Deputies said abuse can be reported to the Sheriff's Office at 407-348-2222 or the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE (22873).
For those affected by abuse, help is available through the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, known as SNAP. To find the resources available, go to SnapNetwork.org.