Former Greeley pastor arrested on child sexual assault charges | GreeleyTribune.com

A former Greeley pastor has been arrested on child sexual assault charges for engaging in an intimate relationship with an underage girl 20 years his junior.

Nison Yovani Lemus-Alvarez, 37, formerly the congregation leader of La Iglesia De Restoration Church, 3080 29th St., is charged with one count each of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and sexual assault on a child with a pattern of abuse, both felonies. The charges stem from an inappropriate relationship Lemus-Alvarez allegedly had with an underage member of his congregation who also volunteered for the church.

An investigation into Lemus-Alvarez first began in October 2017 when the victim, then 16 years old, told her mother she had been kissing her pastor and the two had been exchanging late night text messages for months. Lemus-Alvarez, a married man with children, told the victim he had fallen in love with her, according to court records.

Former Greeley pastor arrested on child sexual assault charges | GreeleyTribune.com