Albany County District Attorney Lee C. Kindlon announced today that a 75-year-old Albany pastor has been charged by a grand jury for sexually assaulting a young child over the course of several months in 2000.

Bienvenido Lopez was arraigned on a three-count indictment in front of the Honorable Roger McDonough Friday charging him with Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the First Degree, Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the Second Degree and Endangering the Welfare of a Minor.

The indictment alleges that between May of 2000 and December of 2000, while at an apartment located above his church at 153 Central Ave. and another residence at 602 Third St. near Bleecker Stadium, the defendant engaged in two or more acts of sexual conduct, including at least one act of sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse, or aggravated sexual contact, with a child less than 11 years old.

Lopez pleaded not guilty and was released to the supervision of probation on the $40,000 bond he posted after his City Court arraignment. He was ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device and to abide by a stay-at-home curfew.

Assistant District Attorney Stacy Mix of the Special Victims Bureau is prosecuting the case.

ALL DEFENDANTS ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE.