IFN Staff

A Mooresville pastor faces more than a dozen felony charges related to sexual abuse allegations involving two teens following an investigation by the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.

Luis Alberto Sosa, 50, of Wood Acre Drive, Mooresville, has been taken into custody in Florida and will be extradited to Iredell County, Sheriff Darren Campbell said Wednesday in a news release.

The ICSO Special Victims Unit opened an investigation on August 12 after Detective R. Olson received information related to multiple sex offenses involving two minors that occurred in May of 2002 and between April and June of 2008, Campbell said. The victims, both Argentinian nationals, were between the ages of 13 and 17 at the time of the offenses and were part of a religious ministry led by Sosa, who was serving as a missionary pastor from Argentina at the time, according to the news release.

Sosa brought the victims to the United States under the false pretense of a ministry opportunity and a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip, according to the news release. He was granted temporary guardianship over the children during their travels.

Sosa allegedly committed several sexual offenses against the minors while they were in his care at multiple locations in the Mooresville area, Campbell said.

The case was initially reported to Argentinian authorities by the victims and was later forwarded to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office through the Argentinian Consulate, initiating an extensive joint investigation.

As the investigation progressed, detectives learned Sosa had fled North Carolina and traveled to Florida. Detective Olson obtained arrest warrants and a nationwide extradition order for Sosa.

After determining Sosa’s whereabouts, the detective coordinated with Flagler County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office deputies, who located and arrested Sosa without incident on October 8.

Sosa is currently being held without bond in Florida pending extradition on the following charges: two counts of Felony Human Trafficking, five counts of Felony Statutory Sexual Offense, seven counts of Felony Sexual Activity by a Custodian and two counts of Felony Indecent Liberties with a Child

“This investigation demonstrates how critical collaboration between agencies is in bringing fugitives to justice,” Sheriff Campbell said. “We thank the Argentinian authorities and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance.”