Ignite Life Center Counselor Granted Plea Deal and Sentenced to Five Years
On March 6, former employee and counselor at Ignite Life Center (ILC), Gabriel Hemenez, and the Florida State Attorney's Office finalized a plea deal regarding two felony counts of molestation against a victim between the ages of 12 and 16, in addition to a misdemeanor count of battery. This agreement led to Hemenez being sentenced to 5 years in prison, followed by 8 years of supervised probation.
Hemenez’s probation requirements include receiving mental health treatment throughout his probation, along with a psychosexual evaluation. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and will have to choose between paying monthly court costs or completing 10 hours of community service per month.
Hemenez originally pleaded not guilty; however, the prosecution opted to offer him a guilty plea in exchange for a lighter sentence. Originally facing up to 31 years in prison, Hemenez took the deal.
Hemenez misdemeanor battery count was initially a count of felony attempted sexual battery, but the charge was downgraded.
Court records additionally show that a sworn complaint was filed against Hemenez for misdemeanor battery against a fourth victim of molestation, but the case wasn't prosecuted.
Last July, detectives from the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) traveled to Hemenez’s residence after a victim reported that he was sexually abused by Hemenez. During the interview, Hemenez confessed to inappropriately touching three children and one adult during his time at ILC.
Hemenez was formerly an employee at ILC in 2019–2020 before attending a youth summer program as a volunteer in 2021, where he committed the sexual abuses he was charged with, ILC public relation manager/pastor Nicole Gomez said in a previous interview with GnvInfo
Hemenez was the first person to be arrested at ILC last July. Senior pastor Mark Vega’s son, Christian Vargas, was arrested two weeks after Hemenez. Associate pastor Jose Cruz’s son, Noel Cruz, was arrested last month.
Within the same week of Hemenez’s arrest, Vega issued a response on behalf of ILC, stating, “We are fully committed to continually support and foster a healthy reporting culture and to cooperate with law enforcement in maintaining justice.”
Despite this, a GPD Supplemental Report shows that Vega and associate pastor Jose Cruz wanted to handle the matter internally after discovering their sons repeatedly committed statutory rape on church grounds.
Edited Aug 6, 2025: Clarified that one of Hemenez's charges was downgraded from a felony to a misdemeanor and clarified existence for fourth charge that was not prosecuted. Added acronym for ILC.
