Punta Gorda pastor gets 10 years for rape and sexual assault

By Breaking Belize News Staff (HP): A 67 year old Punta Gorda pastor has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against a female congregant.

Victor Wagner Hernandez, pastor of the Toledo Faith Outreach Christian Center and former president of the National Evangelical Association of Belize, was sentenced on Monday by High Court Justice Antoinette Moore.

The convictions stem from a pattern of abuse spanning six years between 2015 and 2021. The rapes occurred at his business and his residence, while the sexual assault took place inside his church.

The court heard that Hernandez exploited his position as the woman’s spiritual leader and threatened to accuse her of theft to stop her from reporting him.

Guideline starting points produced provisional sentences of nine, ten and three years, totalling 22 years. Justice Moore ordered all terms to run concurrently to arrive at a proportionate sentence.

Aggravating factors included the abuse of religious trust and the presence of the woman’s teenage daughter during the assault. In mitigation, the court considered his lack of prior convictions, his age and medical conditions including a stroke, hypertension and Type II diabetes.

The sentence takes effect from his August 3 conviction date. He has been remanded to the Belize Central Prison.

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