EspañolDavid Helbling, 79, Pastor For Riverside County Church, Arrested on Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse At Moreno Valley Property
MORENO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA (February 21, 2024) – A Riverside County pastor identified as David Helbling is facing accusations of child sexual assault after being arrested in Moreno Valley.
Riverside County Sheriff’s officials said that they first learned about a potential child sexual assault on January 30. The assault allegedly took place at a property on the 2300 block of Hemlock Avenue in Moreno Valley.
Authorities searched the property on February 14 and collected evidence they believe is related to the assault. David Helbling was arrested on multiple felony charges related to crimes against a juvenile victim.
The Riverside County pastor is currently being held on a $2 million bail. Authorities believe that there may be additional victims.
If you have more information about the actions of David Helbling, you can reach out to the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station.
Liability For Moreno Valley Child Sexual Abuse
According to the Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice & Criminology, sexual abuse within protestant organizations has been a widespread problem for many years. But unlike the Catholic Church, it has been much more difficult to study and prosecute. The Catholic Church has a very centralized leadership structure with all major issues eventually coming to the Vatican. But there are tens of thousands of protestant denominations with different organizational structures. There are a number of steps that churches should take in order to prevent child sexual abuse.
- Churches should develop codes of conduct for their leadership and volunteers.
- Churches should work closely with law enforcement after any allegations of abuse have been made.
- Churches should study the factors that contribute to sexual victimization and sexual predation.
- Churches should employ various safeguarding measures to prevent child sexual abuse. This includes taking measures to prevent children from being isolated with a single adult.
It is illegal for any adult in California to engage in the sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor. This includes inappropriate touching. Pursuant to California Penal Code 288, it is a crime for a person to commit any lewd or lascivious act on a child under 16 years of age. This includes touching a child’s body for sexual purposes. It is not necessary for the touching to be on bare skin. Any person who commits sexual abuse against a child could face civil and criminal liability for their actions.
All churches have a legal obligation to protect guests and children on their property from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm. This includes protection against sexual abuse at the hands of church officials. If church leadership is aware of sexual abuse or misconduct and they failed to take proper action, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. It is important that certain steps are taken after any suspected instance of child sexual abuse.
- Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
- A police report should be created.
- Medical records related to the abuse should be sought.
- An experienced child sexual abuse attorney should be contacted.
Sexual abuse is one of the most harmful and destructive things any child can go through. It has a lasting impact on the child’s well-being and their ability to live meaningful lives. This is why it is so important that churches are doing everything within their power to prevent abuse. Sadly, though, by the time any church leader is arrested for sexual abuse, there were likely many red flags that were missed. Any person that is the victim of sexual abuse within a religious organization may be able to seek some measure of justice through a civil claim.
Investigating Moreno Valley Child Sexual Abuse
We at the Carrillo Law Firm, LLP were deeply concerned to hear about the allegations being made against pastor David Helbling. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what may have happened and the possibility that there may be additional victims.
Have you or someone that you care about been the victim of child sexual abuse? There are a number of laws designed to protect your rights. Our team of child sexual abuse attorneys are here to help in any way that we can. We are committed to helping survivors and holding all organizations accountable for their negligence. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any particular incident we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 626-799-9375.
