Israel Morales Guzman, 46, a co-pastor at Ministerios Hogar De Fe located in the Grand Mound area, was scheduled to begin trial for charges of second-degree child molestation on Monday.
That trial has now been pushed to Jan. 20, 2026, according to court records.
A new trial confirmation hearing is scheduled for Jan. 8.
Morales was first arrested July 30 by Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputies. He made a preliminary appearance in Thurston County Superior Court the following day, after which he posted bail in the amount of $50,000.
During his arraignment on Aug. 12, Christopher Taylor, Morales’ defense attorney, entered a not guilty plea on Morales’s behalf.
Morales faces two counts of child molestation, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines, according to state law. Conviction would require Morales to register as a sex offender. He faces additional class C felony charges.
A pretrial services investigation found that Morales had no previous adult criminal convictions.
The Chronicle previously reported that a video posted to the church’s Facebook page on Sept. 14 appeared to show Morales playing a keyboard during a prayer portion of the service, though the exact date of the service was not listed.
As part of his conditions of release pending trial, Morales is prohibited from having contact with the alleged victim — along with another individual — and is not allowed to “loiter or frequent any locations where children congregate, including schools, daycares, parks, video arcades, campgrounds or shopping malls.”
The conditions also prohibit Morales from having contact with minors and from being in a position to monitor or supervise minors.
Thurston County court records indicate that Morales’s spouse filed for divorce on Sept. 5.
To read more Chronicle coverage about the case, visit https://tinyurl.com/yp4pfncz.
