| For Immediate Release Case# TBA
March 12, 2009 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Public Affairs Counsel Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami |
FORMER YOUTH PASTOR TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING 16-YEAR-OLD FEMALE PARISHIONER AND TEXTING SEXUAL MESSAGES TO VICTIM’S 15-YEAR-OLD RELATIVE
NEWPORT BEACH – A former youth pastor at a Santa Margarita church will be arraigned today for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old female parishioner and sending sexual text messages to her 15-year-old female relative. Shane Garrett Horning, 28, San Jose, is charged with four felony counts of oral copulation with a minor under 16 for Jane Doe #1. As to Jane Doe #2, he is charged with one felony count of distributing lewd material to a minor and one misdemeanor count of child annoyance. He faces a maximum sentence of four years and eight months in state prison if convicted. The People will be requesting $100,000 bail at Horning’s arraignment today, March 12, 2009, at 1:30 p.m. at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach. The Department is to be determined.
Horning is accused of meeting Jane Doe #1 while working as a youth pastor at Santa Margarita Methodist Church. Between January 2005 and January 2006, Horning is accused of sending Jane Doe #1, then 16 years old, sexually suggestive text messages. The defendant was 25 years old at the time. Horning is accused of having Jane Doe #1 come to his home on several occasions to orally copulate him. The defendant left Santa Margarita Methodist Church in approximately 2006 and eventually moved to San Jose. Jane Doe #1 did not disclose the sexual assault until 2009, when she learned that Jane Doe #2 could be victimized by Horning.
In January 2009, Horning is accused of sending sexual text messages to Jane Doe #1’s 15-year-old female relative, Jane Doe #2. Jane Doe #1 disclosed the sexual assault and text messages to her and Jane Doe #2 to her parents.
Anyone with additional information or who believes they have been a victim is encouraged to contact Supervising District Attorney Investigator Tim Craig at (714) 347-8558.
Deputy District Attorney Nikki Buracchio of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.
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