Jorge A. Manan-Moreno, Executive Director of the Catalina Lovy Foundation.
LOGAN — The former leader of a local charity organization has been arraigned on charges of sexually abusing young children as additional cases have been filed in other parts of the state. Jorge A. Manan-Moreno is being held in a Utah County Jail without bail after prosecutors in Provo and American Fork filed four more case against him.
Manan-Moreno was arraigned during a virtual hearing Monday afternoon in Logan’s 1st District Court. He was arraigned on the two original cases against him, including three charges of forcible sodomy and two counts of forcible sexual abuse, all first-degree felonies; along with other felonies and misdemeanors of sexual abuse of a minor and surreptitious administering of a certain substance.
On June 12, Spanish Fork Police officers were contacted by the alleged victim. The teenage boy told investigators how he and several other boys had been inappropriately touched by Manan-Moreno, a family/friend. The incidents took place at residences in Spanish Fork, Pleasant Grove, Taylorsville and Smithfield, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
The alleged victim explained how all of the families were originally from Chile and often got together twice a month to socialize. Since Manan-Moreno and others lived several hours away, they would often spend the night at each other’s homes.
Court documents explained how the allegations occurred during these sleepovers, and involved the boys being molested and forced to perform sex acts with Manan-Moreno, while others were sleeping.
Since the crimes were reported in multiple locations, Spanish Fork Police officers learned that similar investigations were being conducted by other law enforcement agencies in Pleasant Grove, Taylorsville and Smithfield.
Prosecutors in Utah County later filed four more cases against Manan-Moreno. The charges include eight counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony; and two counts of dealing in materials harmful to a minor, a third-degree felony.
During Monday’s arraignment, Manan-Moreno asked the court for a public defender, explaining that he was unemployed. He was ordered to appear again in court Oct. 23, and prohibited from having any contact with the alleged victims.
Manan-Moreno was the director of the Catalina Lovy Foundation that reportedly would help low-income, underserved elderly people and people with disabilities. He was released by the organization days after his first arrest.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.