Orange County Ministry Director Charged With Sexually Assaulting Minor

Orange County Ministry Director Charged With Sexually Assaulting Minor

Nov 23, 2022

An area man who has worked with local kids in a variety of capacities including as a children’s ministry director, a music/dance teacher, and an after school program leader has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl, according to a statement from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

The D.A.’s statement also indicated the man was charged with secretly recording the victim while engaging in sexual acts to make child pornography.

The suspect – Sonny Angel Cabugao Boloico, 39, of Aliso Viejo – was taken into custody by the Orange Police Department on October 31, 2022 on suspicion of numerous sexual assault crimes against a teenage girl, the O.C. District Attorney’s Office said.

The multiple sex crime charges against Boloico include:

• One felony count of sexual penetration of a child over 14 by a foreign object force
• One felony count of sexual penetration of an unconscious victim, one felony count of a lewd act upon a child age 14 or 15
• One felony count of using an underage person for obscene matter

If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum sentence of 11 years and four months in prison.

Boloico is currently being held at the Theo Lacy Facility in lieu of $500,000 bail. The former children’s ministry director is scheduled to be arraigned on December 16, 2022 at the Central Justice Center.

Local law enforcement authorities are requesting the public’s assistance in identifying any additional victims of Boloico. The sex crimes suspect has worked at multiple schools throughout Orange County since 2012. His various titles, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, have included:

• Dance Instructor
• Drama Teacher
• Children’s Ministry Director
• Creative Arts Director
• After School Program Leader

Boloico reportedly held “children-related” jobs in churches and schools throughout cities in Orange County, including:

• Laguna Niguel
• Santa Ana
• Garden Grove
• Tustin
• Orange

Some of the facilities where Boloico reportedly worked with children include:

• The Community Roots Academy in Laguna Niguel
• The Orange County Children’s Therapeutic Arts Center in Santa Ana
• The Southeastern California – OC Grace Church in Garden Grove
• Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Tustin
• Storeybook Creative Dance in Orange

Boloico last worked with the elderly at the Newport Subacute Healthcare Center in the City of Costa Mesa, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

“Parents should have the peace of mind that the teachers and clergy they have around their children are there to teach them not to prey on them,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “It is unconscionable that this individual used a position of trust to groom his young victim and exploit her vulnerability in such a sick and twisted way.”

Anyone with information about a sex crime committed by Boloico or any additional victims is urged to immediately contact Orange Police Department Detective Augie Rocha at 714-744-7579.

Deputy District Attorney Laila Nikaien of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting the case against Boloico.

California Schools Forced to Pay Multi-Million Dollar Sexual Abuse Settlements

Sexual abuse in California schools is unfortunately a widespread issue which makes headlines virtually every week. Sexual abuse scandals in area schools have led to a number of major settlements on behalf of survivors. Some 2022 examples include:

• In May, a South Bay school district – Cinnabar Elementary School in San Jose – agreed to pay $7.5 million to five men who were sexually abused by their elementary school teacher in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
• In October, the Los Angeles Unified School District agreed to pay a $52 million settlement to 15 victims and their families after a former Sun Valley high school wrestling coach was convicted of molesting at least nine children.
• In March, a Northern California school district agreed to pay $102 million to two women who were repeatedly abused by former music teacher Samuel Neipp while students at a San Jose middle school.

Here at Dordulian Law Group, we consistently cover the local school, teacher, and clergy sexual abuse cases which unfortunately occur on a regular basis. This year alone, a number of scandals have impacted area communities:

• October 2022: a Former Birmingham high school trainer – Richard Turner – was arrested for sexually abusing at least 10 students.
• August 2022: a Redlands Youth Soccer coach was arrested for having sex with a 14-year-old girl in the backseat of his car.
• March 2022: LAPD detectives arrested Samantha Arizabal, a teacher at Ivy Bound Academy in Sherman Oaks, after reports of alleged inappropriate sexual conduct and child molestation surfaced.
• March 2022: an Orange County piano teacher was found guilty of molesting eight students and faces 111 years in prison.
• February 2022: two Rialto assistant principals from Carter High School were arrested for failing to report three separate sexual assault allegations made by female students against a male teenager.
• February 2022: Michael Traurig, a San Mateo equestrian coach for youths and adults in Los Angeles, was arrested on suspicion of molesting a 13-year-old student.
• January 2022: a former Mater Dei High School track and football coach was sued by an ex-student who alleged she was repeatedly raped as a 16-year-old at the prestigious Catholic school.

How Can I File a School Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?

Dordulian Law Group (DLG) is a full-service school sexual abuse firm dedicated to helping survivors secure the justice they deserve and recover maximum financial compensation for the harm endured. Led by former sex crimes prosecutor Sam Dordulian, DLG offers clients a unique brand of all-encompassing legal representation.

In addition to the very best collection of school sexual abuse attorneys available, our four-tiered SAJE Team (Sexual Assault Justice Experts) offers clients 24/7 access to a dedicated support network:

1. An in-house licensed clinical therapist with over 15 years of experience helping survivors through mental health struggles
2. An in-house victim’s advocate dedicated to the needs of all survivors
3. An in-house chief investigator with nearly 30 years of previous experience as a Los Angeles Police Department sex crimes detective
4. A proven litigator – Sam Dordulian – with over 100 jury trial victories leading a team of experienced, skilled, and proven California school sexual abuse lawyers

Our experienced attorneys can help you pursue a financial award for your personal injury case. Contact us online or by phone for a free consultation today.

At DLG, we are fully committed to supporting every school sexual assault survivor during the litigation process while fighting for justice on their behalf. Contact us today at 818-322-4056 to discuss your case confidentially and without any obligation.