An Elgin pastor is charged for sexually assaulting a young child he knew.

Elizandro Salazar Montoya

Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon has charged 46-year-old Elizandro Salazar Montoya with the offenses of:

• Criminal sexual assault, a Class 1 felony.
• Aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony, four counts.

Kane County prosecutors allege in charging documents that between Nov. 1 and Dec. 1, 2018, Salazar Montoya sexually assaulted and sexually abused the victim. Salazar Montoya knew the victim, who was younger than 18 years old.

At the time, Salazar Montoya served as a pastor at Iglesia Apostólica de Elgin church in the 37W block of Hopps Road, Elgin. Salazar Montoya held a position of trust and authority over the victim.

Salazar Montoya appeared Thursday (Oct. 17, 2019) in Kane County bond court. Kane County Associate Judge Keith Johnson set Salazar Montoya’s bail at $300,000, with 10 percent ($30,000) to apply for bond.

If Salazar Montoya posts bond, he is prohibited from having contact with the victim or the victim’s family, he is prohibited from having any contact with anyone younger than 18 years old, he is prohibited from being within 500 feet of the victim’s residence and he is prohibited from being within 500 feet of the church.

In addition, he must relinquish his passport and cannot leave the state of Illinois.

Johnson set Salazar Montoya’s next court appearance for 9 a.m. Oct. 25, 2019, in Courtroom 311 at the Kane County Judicial Center.

The Kane County Child Advocacy Center investigated the case with assistance from the Elgin Police Department. The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information should call the Kane County Child Advocacy Center at 630-208-5160.

The charges against Salazar Montoya are not proof of guilt. Salazar Montoya is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

• Click this link for information about reporting child abuse, sexual abuse or neglect in Kane County, IL.

SOURCE: Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office news release. To read news releases directly from the SAO, visit the SAO website or Facebook page.