Founder of Christian Hip-Hop Clothing Line Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison
The founder of a clothing line popular with Christian hip-hop and rap artists has been convicted of several counts of child molestation and sentenced to 35 years in California state prison.
Jesse Joshua Aceves of Beaumont, California, was arrested by the Fontana Police Department in June of 2020 and charged with molesting three victims over the course of 17 years, the Fontana Herald-News reported.
He is the founder of The Way clothing brand and was active in booking concerts and providing merchandise for musical artists to sell, per Rapzilla, a Christian hip-hop online magazine.
The brand’s Twitter account describes The Way as “an urban lifestyle brand with a message for everyone. It’s more than just the threads, we represent the Way.”
One of the victims alleged that Aceves had molested her multiple times when she was between the ages of 4 and 17. Fontana police detectives became involved after two victims came forward, after which a third victim was discovered. Police said at the time of Aceves’ arrest that they suspected there were more victims and urged them to come forward.
The incidents occurred in both California and Texas, officials said.
The Fontana PD in a Facebook post thanked the detectives and the District Attorney’s Office “for seeing this case through.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Why does MinistryWatch report on sex crimes? These stories are tough to read and sometimes even tougher to report, but we think they are vital to our mission to bring transparency, accountability, and credibility to the evangelical church. To read more about why and how we report these stories, read “Why MinistryWatch Reports On Sex Crimes.” You can find that story here.
Main photo: Jesse Aceves / Courtesy of Fontana Police Department
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