Martic township youth church leader accused of sexual relationship with minor waives hearing

Martic Township youth church leader accused of sexual relationship with minor waives hearing

Posted by
1 min read
January 10, 2026

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. – A Martic Township man charged with initiating a sexual relationship with an underage girl while serving as a youth leader at a Lancaster County church has waived his preliminary hearing, allowing the case to move to county court.

According to court records, 21-year-old Kelvin Daniel Perez, of the 500 block of Drytown Road, waived his hearing before Judge Joseph Stauffer on December 16. Perez is charged with one count of corruption of minors stemming from alleged conduct that occurred between January and April while he was a youth leader at Victor Church in East Lampeter Township.

Investigators said Perez began communicating with the victim through social media, sending messages that became increasingly personal before arranging meetings outside church events. Police allege he drove to the victim’s Lititz-area home multiple times, convincing her to sneak out to meet him and later enter her home while her parents were away to engage in sexual acts.

Perez was charged by Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Officer Matthew Hinkle and is free on $10,000 unsecured bail. As a condition of release, he is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with minors. Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Ponessa is prosecuting the case.

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Don't Miss

Exit mobile version