Crime & Safety

Youth Pastor at a Church in Venice Charged with Child Molestation

Demetrius Allen is accused of having a yearlong relationship with a 14-year-old girl who attended First Baptist.

Venice youth pastor Demetrius Allen, 28, was charged Friday with multiple counts of molestation.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office is alleging that Allen, who lives in Granada Hills, had an affair with a girl who attended the First Baptist Church of Venice, where Allen was a youth pastor.

The relationship allegedly began when the victim was only 14 years old and lasted from March 2010 to May of this year.

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Allen was arraigned Friday at the San Fernando Courthouse.

"The victim was with the church, but the alleged activity did not occur in Venice, it occured in the San Fernando Valley," said Sandi Gibbons, a spokesperson for the District Attorney's office.

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He is charged with "10 counts of lewd act on a child, one count of possession of child pornography and one count of contacting a minor for sexual offense, all felonies," according to the DA's office.

Prosecutors said they will ask that bail be set at $1 million.

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