An Oklahoma pastor who claimed ties to the MS-13 gang used his position to pressure church members into quitting their jobs and working for him without pay, authorities said.
Elmer Baca Flores, 41, also used his role as a spiritual leader to persuade people to leave their families. Investigators spoke with several people whose relatives had gone to the church and never returned home.
The case came to light after a family reported that their daughter had been sexually abused. One victim said Flores gave her a test to prove she could resist temptation, then sexually assaulted her during the test. Authorities said he used the victims’ religious beliefs to manipulate them.
Flores was arrested in April 2025 and initially charged with three counts of lewd conduct with a child. Six months later, prosecutors added human trafficking for labor and sexual battery charges.
On Tuesday, he was convicted of 13 counts of human trafficking for forced labor, along with several child sex offenses. He received a 30-year prison sentence and must register as a sex offender. He also faces possible deportation.
The church, called Ministerio Levantando Adoradores Para Cristo Inc., operated out of Flores’ home. The state narcotics bureau said the case marked Oklahoma’s first conviction for human trafficking involving forced labor.
A child-safety advocate urged parents to stay alert to the risk of abuse by people children know and trust. “As parents, we have to be hypervigilant about protecting them,” she said.
