Pastor wanted for rape nabbed
A 26-YEAR-OLD pastor wanted for a non-bailable rape case was arrested by a local police tracker team in his hiding place in Nueva Viscaya, Police Regional Office 2 director Brig. Gen. Steve Ludan said yesterday.
Suspect Julius Macasieb, a pastor from a local Christian religious sect, has been listed as the no. 1 most wanted person in Nueva Viscaya.
Macasieb was nabbed on the strength of a warrant for rape issued by Judge Paul Attolba Jr. of the Bayombong Regional Trial Court, with no bail recommended.
Members of the Bambang Municipal Police Station and the Nueva Viscaya Police Provincial Office on Tuesday arrested the suspect in his house at Purok 3, Bgy. Abinganan in Bambang municipality following a tip from an informant.
The Cagayan Valley police director said that records of the case showed that Macasieb happened to know the minor victim when he was assigned in Bambang in April 2012.
The suspect reportedly befriended the young victim until he managed to have sex with her in his rented house in August 2017.
The incident happened when the victim was only 17 years old.
Because of immorality issues, the pastor was reportedly relieved from his position in September 2019, thus ending his relationship with the victim.
However, on March 4, 2020, the pastor reportedly forced the victim to meet him personally, threatening to upload her nude pictures on the internet if she ignored his order.
Terrified, the victim showed up in their meeting place, giving the accused another opportunity to sexually abuse her.
Ludan said the pastor is being held at the Bambang police lock-up facility, pending his presentation to court and issuance of official jail commitment order.
