A man from California, identified as both a pastor and Jiu-Jitsu instructor, faces allegations of child sexual abuse spanning several years. Investigators express concern that more victims might still be undiscovered.
The accused, Emmanuel Marchica, aged 51 and residing in Hollister, was detained on July 10 following an investigation by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. This probe, initially centered on a single victim, uncovered wider allegations of long-term child sexual abuse.
The investigation was set in motion on July 5 after deputies responded to a report alleging the continuous sexual abuse of one child.
Detectives swiftly moved to interview witnesses, rapidly identifying other alleged victims. Their efforts culminated in executing numerous search warrants, eventually resulting in Marchica’s arrest.
A booking photo released by authorities shows Emmanuel Marchica, 51, from Hollister, California. Investigators in Monterey County suggest that victim disclosures could stretch as far back as 2012 and anticipate additional victims might step forward. (Photo courtesy of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators said disclosures from victims date back to at least 2012, leading detectives to believe additional victims and witnesses may still be out there.
According to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, Marchica was serving as a pastor and regularly offering religious services at a community gathering center in the Hidden Valley community of San Benito County at the time of his arrest.
SAN FRANCISCO ARCHDIOCESE AGREES TO $395M SETTLEMENT WITH 530 CLERGY ABUSE SURVIVORS
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said Marchica was working as a pastor and regularly leading religious services at a community center in San Benito County’s Hidden Valley area. (Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Facebook)
Authorities did not identify the congregation or organization.
Detectives also said Marchica previously owned bakery businesses in Prunedale and Monterey, as well as gyms in Sand City, Seaside and Prunedale, where he offered physical therapy, massage therapy services and worked as a Jiu-jitsu instructor.
Investigators believe those community connections may have put him in contact with additional potential victims over the years.
A California pastor and Jiu-jitsu instructor is accused of sexually abusing multiple children over more than a decade. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Marchica was booked into the Monterey County Jail on multiple felony charges, including lewd or lascivious acts with a child, sexual penetration of a child, oral copulation with a child and annoying or molesting a child.
His bail was set at $17.5 million.
The sheriff’s office is urging anyone who may have been victimized by Marchica or anyone with information that could assist the investigation to contact detectives.
“Detectives understand that victims of sexual abuse often delay reporting for many years,” the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “Regardless of when the abuse may have occurred, investigators encourage victims to know that they will be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect throughout the investigative process.”
Emmanuel Marchica, a California pastor who previously owned bakeries and gyms and worked as a Jiu-jitsu instructor, is accused of sexually abusing multiple children. (Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Facebook)
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Janelli Arroyo at (831) 755-7261 or Detective Sgt. Nicholas Kennedy at (831) 755-3773.