Pennsylvania man convicted in Jehovah’s Witnesses sexual abuse investigation

Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry speaks during a news conference in Philadelphia, Friday, July 7, 2023. A Pennsylvania grand jury investigating child sexual abuse in the Jehovah’s Witnesses community has indicted another five people on charges of raping or molesting children as young as four years old, the latest developments in an ongoing investigation that has identified 14 suspects. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

(WHTM) – A Reading man faces up to 46 years in prison as part of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s investigation into alleged sexual abuse of Jehovah’s Witnesses congregants.

Luis Manuel Ayala-Velasquez, 56, was arrested last year during a grand jury investigation that recommended sexual assault charges against more than a dozen members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith.

Ayala-Velasquez was sentenced to 14 to 46 years in prison and must register as a sex offender for life if released for repeatedly sexually abusing a girl for more than 20 years. He pleaded guilty to five felonies, including rape of an unconscious person.

The Attorney General’s Office said last year that the investigation included the victim’s testimony that “Ayala-Velasquez sneaked into the victim’s bedroom while she was sleeping and sexually assaulted her. Years later, when his victim was an adult, he allegedly raped her in his home.”

“The courageous victims who came forward and told jurors their horrific stories of abuse resulted in charges being brought against the defendants,” Attorney General Henry said Wednesday. “The abuse in this case began decades ago, but the courageous victim and the diligent efforts of OAG agents and attorneys ensured that justice was served and the defendant was finally held accountable.”

The Attorney General’s investigation began in February 2023 with the indictment of five men with ties to Jehovah’s Witnesses. As part of the July 2023 investigation, five more men were indicted and more than a dozen suspects were identified.

In June, former Jehovah’s Witnesses elder Norman Aviles-Garriga was found guilty of 12 counts, including aggravated sexual assault, in the Attorney General’s investigation.