Magnolia youth pastor charged with touching children, at least 6 known

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas - A Montgomery County youth pastor turned himself in for inappropriately touching multiple children while he worked at a church.

Michael Anthony Romero has now been charged with Indecency with a Child - Sexual Contact.

Documents say on January 23, Romero went to the Magnolia Police Department to speak with Detective Stanford about past sexual assault. He told authorities he was a youth pastor at First Baptist Church in Magnolia around 2002 to 2012 and during that time, he touched his male students.

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According to court documents, Romero said recent sexual abuse hits in the Southern Baptist Church Convention had him concerned his name may be on a list with SBC task force, and he had to "do something to make things right."

Michael Anthony Romero (Photo courtesy of Montgomery County Jail)

Romero gave the detective five victim names he said he touched inappropriately during the time he was a youth pastor and their ages at the time of the assaults ranged from 14 to 16, officials say.

Two of the five victims said they remembered Romero touching them inappropriately while they were sleeping, and the other three said they did not remember inappropriate touching.

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While interviewing the five victims Romero stated he inappropriately touched, investigators say they were able to the names of other youth group members who spent time with Romero.

Four more males came forward saying they were inappropriately touched by Romero when they were younger as well.

All six gave accounts of times Romero inappropriately touched them and sometimes their genitals.

Romero would often dismiss his conduct saying, "I like to cuddle a lot", "Did I do anything weird last night?", or "I move around a lot in my sleep."

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One victim recalled the touching being like "a 16-year-old boy with a girl and you're trying to make slight advances with her."

According to court documents, there would be some instances where he touched a boy at the time, and they would move his hand, but he would put it right back.

Romero is currently being held in Montgomery County Jail on a $50,000 bond.