Church Teacher Charged With Sexual Abuse Of A Minor: Police

GERMANTOWN, MD — A Germantown man who taught at a church in Derwood has been charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse of a minor, according to the Montgomery County Police Department.

Ervin Jeovany Alfaro Lopez, 33, was arrested Monday following an investigation by the police department’s special victims investigations division. Detectives are concerned there may be more victims that have not contacted police.

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 last September and in January, and reported to have been sexually abused by Alfaro Lopez at the same church, police said.

Each of the offenses occurred between 2016 and 2018, according to police.

Alfaro Lopez is charged with multiple offenses, including sex abuse of a minor, second-degree sex offense and third-degree sex offense. The victims were between the ages of 6 and 12-years-old at the time of the offenses, and Alfaro Lopez was 25- to 27-years-old at the time of the offenses, police said.

Alfaro Lopez is being held without bond at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit.

Anyone who may have been a victim of Alfaro Lopez can call the MCPD’s Special Victims Investigations Division office at 240-773-5400.