Church Teacher Pleads Guilty To Sexual Abuse Of A Minor

GERMANTOWN, MD — A Germantown man who taught at a church in Derwood has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sexual abuse of a minor, according to Montgomery County prosecutors. The assaults of multiple victims happened between 2016 and 2018.

Ervin Jeovany Alfaro-Lopez, 34, was arrested in March 2024 following an investigation by the police department’s special victims investigations division.

Alfaro-Lopez pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Circuit Court to child sex abuse and related charges, with sentencing scheduled for Aug. 28, The MoCo Show reported Monday.

According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, Alfaro-Lopez pleaded guilty to one count of sex abuse of a minor and three counts of third-degree sex offense.

Alfaro-Lopez faces up to 55 years in prison when he is sentenced Aug. 28.

Detectives began their investigation in May 2023 after a victim reported being sexually abused by a teacher at a Derwood church located in the 15700 block of Crabbs Branch Way in Montgomery County.

WUSA reported that Pastor Bernal Osorio with the Elim Gaithersburg Church confirmed to the station that the alleged abuse happened at its Derwood location.

Following the initial complaint, three more victims came forward in the following months and reported to have been sexually abused by Alfaro Lopez at the same church, police said.

The victims were between the ages of 6 and 12 at the time of the offenses, police said.