Pastor charged with sexually assaulting a minor, served at churches in the Indio and Blythe area

BLYTHE, Calif. (KESQ) - A 41-year-old pastor in the Coachella and Palo Verde valleys accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl was charged Friday with multiple felonies.

Lino Hernandez, 41, of Mesa Verde, was taken into custody at his residence in Blythe. Hernandez is charged with four counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, two counts of lewd acts on a minor and one count of forcible penetration.

He made his initial court appearance Friday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, where Superior Court Judge Dean Benjamini re-assigned the case to the Blythe Courthouse, setting formal arraignment for Aug. 18.

The judge additionally signed a criminal protective order, prohibiting Hernandez from having any contact with the victim, whose identity was not disclosed.

Hernandez is being held without bail at the Benoit Detention Center.

According to sheriff's Sgt. Bryan Berryman, after detectives received the initial report in June of an alleged assault, they began gathering evidence that ultimately pointed to Hernandez as the alleged perpetrator, confirming that he "served as pastor at churches in the Blythe and Indio areas."

Specific details about the victim and the period during which she was allegedly assaulted were not disclosed.

A search was obtained and served at the defendant's property in the 18000 block of Cottonwood Avenue in Blythe, where he was taken into custody without incident Wednesday morning.

Hernandez has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office believes there may be additional victims and encourages anyone with information regarding this investigation to contact Colorado River Station Master Investigator Morelock or Investigator Pfholman at (760) 921-7900.

Stay with News Channel 3 for any new developments.