Saddleback Church Youth Mentor Allegedly Preyed on Boys and More Cases

A 32-year-old male youth mentor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest has been arrested on suspicion of inappropriate relations with at least two 14-year-old boys, but the Orange County Sheriff’s Department fears there may be more victims.

A 56-year-old Garden Grove man is accused of sexually assaulting to two girls under the age of 14, but the Orange County District Attorney’s office fears there may be more victims in this case, too.


Ruven Meulenberg
of Lake Forest came under suspicion when sheriff’s Special Victims Detail investigators were contacted on May 24 by a man alleging the Saddleback Church’s volunteer junior high youth mentor was having an inappropriate relationship with an underage boy. The second alleged victim was identified during the course of the investigation, deputies say. Both claimed they had engaged in inappropriate conduct with Meulenberg for the past year, and that several incidents of lewd and inappropriate conduct happened on the church property, deputies say. One alleged victim is said to have been part of the church’s youth ministry program. Meulenberg, who was arrested Thursday on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a child, was being held in Orange County Jail on $100,000 bail heading into an arraignment hearing scheduled for Tuesday. Because Meulenberg volunteered at the church for six years, and due to his leadership role and access to children, investigators fear there may be more victims. If that is you, someone you know or if you have any information that can help the investigation, call the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Special Victim’s Detail at 714.647.7418 or 714.647.7000. Anonymous tips may also be left with Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855.847.6227 (1-855-TIP-OCCS) or via occrimestoppers.org.


Victor Norman Ealey
has a June 6 arraignment hearing scheduled on two felony counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 and a sentencing enhancement for multiple victims. From Jan. 1, 2014, through Dec. 31, 2016, he is accused of committing lewd acts with a girl starting when she was about 10. That victim came forward to Garden Grove police investigators who were investigating the sexual assault of a second 10-year-old girl, who Ealey is accused of committing lewd acts upon around this past April 30. He was being held in Orange County Jail on $1 million bail, but the investigation is ongoing and anyone with additional information or who believes they may have been a victim is asked to contact OCDA Supervising District Attorney Investigator Eric Wiseman at 714.347.8794.

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