An evangelical pastor from Los Alcarrizos was sentenced to ten years in prison on Tuesday, 18 August 2025 after a Santo Domingo court found him guilty of sexually assaulting several little girls and teenagers. Los Alcarrizos is a densely-populated low and middle income area located north of the capital city.
44-year old Johan Manuel Castillo Ortega was convicted and ordered to pay a fine of RD$100,000 to the state and RD$1 million in compensation to his victims.
Castillo Ortega, who preyed on six girls and teenagers, used his position as a religious leader to gain the trust of his victims. The assaults took place in the church where he preached and in his home.
Prosecutors Sugely Valdez, Francheska Alcántara, and Nicasio Pulinario presented evidence that led to the conviction. The prosecution’s case, led by investigator Olivia Sosa, showed that Castillo Ortega would use his victims’ vulnerability to his advantage, groping them and making unwanted advances.
According to the indictment, Castillo Ortega also showed victims pornographic films, exposed himself to them, and made obscene gestures when they came to his house to play with his daughters.
Two of the victims are minors, while four are now adults. One of the adult victims testified that the assault occurred when she was just seven years old.
The three-judge panel of the Fourth Collegiate Court of Santo Domingo Oeste—Julio de Los Santos Morla, Sandra Josefina Cruz Rosario, and Clara Yoselin Rivera Franco—upheld the prosecution’s request to keep Castillo Ortega in custody. He will continue to serve his sentence at the Najayo Men’s Center for Correction and Rehabilitation in San Cristóbal province.
Read more in Spanish:
Diario Libre
El Nacional
Listin Diario
20 August 2025