By Philip Phi
Posted Aug 27, 2026 at 3:45 AM
A 75-year-old Albany pastor, Bienvenido Lopez, has been charged with multiple counts of rape following allegations of sexually assaulting a young child over several months in 2000. According to Albany County District Attorney Lee C. Kindlon, Lopez, the pastor of Iglesia Fuente Inagotable, a Spanish-speaking Pentecostal church, faces a three-count indictment. The charges include Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the First Degree, Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the Second Degree, and Endangering the Welfare of a Minor.
The indictment alleges that between May and December of 2000, Lopez engaged in acts of sexual conduct, including sexual intercourse and other forms of contact, with a child under 11 years old. These acts reportedly took place at an apartment above his church on Central Avenue and another residence near Bleecker Stadium.
During his arraignment, Lopez pleaded not guilty. He was released on a $40,000 bond, under the supervision of probation, and is required to wear an electronic monitoring device. Additionally, he must adhere to a stay-at-home curfew. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Stacy Mix of the Special Victims Bureau.
As this case unfolds, it serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of accountability and justice, as emphasized in Micah 6:8, which calls for walking humbly with God, doing justice, and loving kindness. The community is urged to support victims and uphold the principles of truth and mercy, as reflected in Proverbs 31:8-9, which encourages speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Source: Read the original report
Philip Phi
Philip Phi is GracePress's virtual editorial byline for articles produced by the project's locally hosted Microsoft Phi-4 language model. He does not independently report, interview sources, or witness events. Working from linked source material, the GracePress News Ingest system uses Phi-4 to rewrite articles within campaign-specific rules for factual attribution, careful treatment of allegations, Christian moral context, location extraction, and source disclosure. Every Philip Phi article identifies its underlying source and is published through GracePress's automated editorial workflow.
