Rev. Daniel A. Gomez has been arrested and charged lewd or lascivious battery — eight months after facing similar charges in Tampa. Gomez was pastor of the Center of Unction Church of the Nazarene in Brandon. He has been placed on unpaid leave by Nazarene Church officials. The victim, 12 years old at the time of the sexual molestation, let Gomez into her home because she knew him as a minister. That’s when Gomez attempted to have sex with the minor.
Unfortunately, many of these clergy abusers, whether they are Catholic priests, Protestant ministers, youth ministers, or Jewish rabbis gain access to their victims because of their role as religious leaders in the community. There is an unquestioned trust that accompanies the spiritual role they play in the lives of people, especially the young. When that trust is subverted for criminal sexual behavior as in this case, the public has a right to know about the sexual predator and the predator deserves to be removed and go to jail.