Youth Pastor Pleads No Contest On Molestation Charges

Texas: A former youth pastor has entered a plea of no contest days before he was set to go to trial on charges he molested three young girls he met through his family's church.

Rico Dominic Escudero, 31, pleaded to two counts of kidnapping, three counts of criminal sexual penetration, four counts of attempted criminal sexual penetration with a child younger than 13 and two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor younger than 13.

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The case involved allegations of sexual assault on three separate victims, all of whom were 14 and younger. All of these young women knew Mr. Escudero through Victory Outreach Church, which his father is the primary pastor of.

At the time of the incidents, Escudero was married and had a very young child. In October 2003, Escudero, acting as youth minister for the church, was shot while passing out flyers for a "Stop the Violence" event in Las Cruces.