Church youth group leader and school counselor arrested for child sexual assault in Sacramento

A Korean-American man who was a youth group leader at a church in the Sacramento area was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a minor.

The man also worked as a counselor at a nearby elementary school and is known to have worked at a Korean school, and investigators are receiving tips that there may be additional victims.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department announced on February 27 that it had arrested Wonyoung Kim, 35, faces eight counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 years old and two additional counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 years old by force, the sheriff’s office said.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, suspect Kim was caught red-handed in September 2024 for his criminal activities after a 15-year-old girl attending Roseville Bayside Church reported him.

Kim is accused of sending inappropriate text messages to minors while serving as a youth group leader at the church.

The Roseville Police Department and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department Child Abuse Bureau, which received the report, conducted an investigation into Kim.

The investigators later found out that the victim had been sexually assaulted by Kim, who was a school counselor at Charles Peck Elementary School in Carmichael when she was a student there.

In addition, the investigation revealed that Kim also committed a similar crime against another student at the same school at the time.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department said it had issued an arrest warrant and arrested Kim at a house in the Roseville area on February 26. Kim is currently detained at the Sacramento County Jail without bail.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department is currently receiving additional reports of victims. In addition to counseling, Kim also worked at the Sacramento Korean Language and Cultural School. Authorities said that “Kim is known to have had access to other minors through his position at work and in the community.”

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department called for a report. The Sheriff’s Department said it would offer $1,000 to anyone who provides reliable information about Kim’s crimes.

Tips and reports can be made to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department (916-874-5115), the Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers (916-443-4357), or online at sacvalleycrimestoppers.com and sacsheriff.com.

BY HYOUNGJAE KIM   [kim.ian@koreadaily.com]