A Hollister, California, man described by investigators as both a pastor and a Jiu-jitsu instructor has been accused of sexually abusing children over a span of years, as authorities caution that more alleged victims may still be unidentified.
Emmanuel Marchica, 51, was taken into custody on July 10 after detectives with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office opened a child sexual abuse investigation that authorities say quickly grew beyond the initial allegation.
The case began July 5, when deputies received a report accusing Marchica of the ongoing sexual abuse of a child, officials said.
Investigators moved swiftly, interviewing witnesses and identifying several additional alleged victims before executing multiple search warrants that led to Marchica’s arrest.
Booking photo of Emmanuel Marchica, 51, of Hollister, California. Monterey County authorities say alleged victim disclosures go back to at least 2012, and investigators believe more victims may come forward. (Monterey County Sheriff’s Office)
Detectives said statements from alleged victims trace back as far as 2012, prompting the sheriff’s office to ask for help locating any additional victims or witnesses connected to the case.
At the time of his arrest, Marchica was serving as a pastor and regularly providing religious services at a community gathering center in the Hidden Valley area of San Benito County, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
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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.
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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.
