Church Youth Leader Arrested For Alleged Sex Crimes With Rowland Heights Teen
SAN BERNARDINO (CBSLA.com) — A Rowland Heights church youth leader remained in custody on Wednesday for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old girl.
Just before midnight on Sunday, California Highway Patrol officers conducted a welfare check on the occupants of a vehicle that was parked in a turn-out of Highway 330 near Fredalba Road in San Bernardino County.
Police located Yanho "Eric" Ren, 24, of Fullerton, in the back of the vehicle with a 13-year-old female who lived in Rowland Heights.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, Ren and the girl told detectives they began a sexual relationship in May.
A preliminary investigation revealed they had engaged in several sexual acts in Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
On Monday, authorities arrested Ren on suspicion of kidnapping, penetration with a foreign object with a child, oral copulation with a child under 14, sodomy with a child under 14 and sex crime with a child under 14.
According to deputies, Ren has been employed as a youth leader for the Evangelical Formosan Church in Rowland Heights over the past two years. He has attended the church since 2006.
The victim reportedly met Ren while attending youth programs that were held at the church.
Ren is being held on $500,000 at the Central Detention Center. He is scheduled to appear in court later today.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact the Crimes Against Children Detail at (909) 387-3615.