NYC Catholic Deacon Pleads Guilty In Child Sex Sting

The New York Daily News reports:

A Queens church deacon nabbed in an undercover sting pleaded guilty in Brooklyn Federal Court on Friday of trying to lure three teenage boys into meeting him for sex acts, law enforcement officials said.

Rogelio Vega, 52, a former deacon at St. Sebastian Roman Catholic Church in Woodside, pleaded guilty to three counts of enticing a child to engage in sexual conduct.

From 2015 to 2021, Vega tried to coerce and entice three male victims, ages 14 to 16, to meet up with him for sexual acts in his car and at motels, said prosecutors. Vega used Kik, a messaging app marketed to teens, and Grindr, a dating app marketed to LGBTQ people.

Read the full article. Vega faces a mandatory minimum of ten years. Sentencing is scheduled for January. The DOJ’s press release on the case is here.

A Queens church deacon nabbed in an undercover sting pleaded guilty in Brooklyn Federal Court of trying to lure three teenage boys into meeting him for sex acts, law enforcement officials say.https://t.co/oUxA0lUCm0

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) September 16, 2022