Former South County youth pastor arrested on child molestation charges
Jeffrey Gene York, 53, of Portland, Oregon
Investigation revealed that York sexually assaulted a male child victim for years
– On Monday, Jeffrey Gene York, 53, from Portland, Oregon, was arrested and charged with two counts of oral copulation by duress and two counts of lewd acts with a child under 14 with force, along with other various charges. York was arrested in Arroyo Grande after deputies located a vehicle registered to him parked in the 600 block of El Camino Real.
The arrest follows a comprehensive investigation by detectives that began in September of 2022 when they received a report of suspected ongoing child molestation that occurred in Nipomo between 2005 and 2008. According to the report, the suspect was a youth pastor at New Beginnings Community Church in Nipomo at the time of the alleged incidents.
The investigation revealed that York had contact with a male victim and sexually assaulted him for years.
Bail was set at $400,000. Anyone with additional information about this case or other potential victims should contact the sheriff’s detective division at (805) 781-4500.
