Pastor in Belize gets 10 years in prison for sexually abusing woman

BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – Former National Evangelical Association of Belize president, Pastor Victor Wagner Hernandez, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after he was found guilty of repeatedly sexually abusing a woman who had turned to him for counsel.

High Court Judge Justice Antoinette Moore imposed the sentence on the 67-year-old pastor after he was found guilty of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

The court heard that the offences occurred in 2015, 2016 and 2021 while Hernandez served at the Toledo Faith Outreach Christian Center in Punta Gorda.

The case began after the 35-year-old woman came forward with a complaint in 2024. During the trial, she gave emotional testimony, also saying that she had been threatened before reporting the abuse.

Moore found her account credible and ultimately convicted Hernandez on all three charges.

In passing sentence, the court took several aggravating factors into account, including 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 2 diabetes.

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.