Judge Approves Ignite Life Center Lawsuit Settlement
Another lawsuit involving child sexual abuse and Ignite Life Center (ILC) Church has been settled out of trial.
On July 1, 2025, Horowitz Law Firm filed a negligence and vicarious liability lawsuit against ILC and the Florida Multicultural District (FMD) of the Assemblies of God of behalf of a victim of child sexual abuse. The lawsuit is connected to the pending criminal case against former ILC youth leader and convicted child molester Gabriel Hemenez.
In March 2024, Hemenez was convicted of molesting boys at the 2021 ILC Summer Internship (ISI). Taking a no contest plea deal, he received five years in prison for two child molestation charges. One year later, Hemenez was hit with three more counts of child molestation in a new case relating to ISI, as the victim didn’t immediately report the sexual abuse. Hemenez’s new charges are more legally serious due to the victim being under 12, and he could be sentenced to life. The lawsuit alleged that the ILC and FMD failed to stop Hemenez from sexually abusing the victim when they could have reasonably done so.
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff and their mother attended services at Refuge of Hope (ROH), the church started by former Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera and his wife Clara Rivera. While attending the church, the plaintiff and their mother were introduced to the head pastor of ILC and Rivera’s longtime friend and business partner, Mark Vega.
The lawsuit states Vega “extolled the virtues of the ILC programs for children, including ISI, a summer camp operated for minor children at ILC.”
According to the lawsuit, Hemenez was employed at ISI and “resided in the dormitory with the underaged boys and was generally responsible for their care and supervision.”
Hemenez was permitted to lay hands on the plaintiff during spiritual counseling. “Hemenez extended and converted his authorized touching into the sexual assault of Plaintiff,” states the lawsuit.
The lawsuit states ILC and FMD “each committed additional acts and omissions regarding Hemenez’s sexual abuse of Plaintiff that have not yet been made public but made Plaintiff vulnerable to sexual abuse by Hemenez.”
At the end of July 2025, ILC submitted a court document majoritively denying the allegations, calling Hemenez a “third-party criminal actor,” and claimed he was “vetted through an application process, which included background checks.” They also filed a motion to dismiss the count of negligence, but Judge Michael Deen denied their request after Horowitz Law submitted a lengthy memorandum of law in opposition to the motion.
In August 2025, FMD filed a motion to dismiss both counts against them, but there wasn’t an order filed.
In September 2025, attorneys for the plaintiff and defendants had a mediation conference with Mediator Sheri Critelli. Regarding FMD, she reported, “A partial/final agreement was reduced to writing and signed by the participating parties. Counsel for the parties shall report the partial/final agreement to the Court, and /or file the appropriate stipulation for Dismissal.”
Regarding ILC, the mediation report states, “The parties did not reach an agreement.”
On October 10, 2025, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) submitted an objection to a subpoena they received in the case. Later on, the parties reached an agreement, with details shown on a court document.
In January 2026, attorneys for the plaintiff and ILC reached a settlement agreement. Initially, Deen did not approve the settlement agreement, citing statutory compliance.
A court-appointed guardian told the Court that the proposed settlement agreement is in the best interests of the minor plaintiff.
On September 10, 2026, Deen approved the settlement agreement.
This marks the completion of the fifth lawsuit Horowitz Law filed against ILC, all of which have been filed in Orange County due to FMD being headquartered in Orlando. As of now, there doesn't appear to be any remaining lawsuits filed by Horowitz Law against ILC, but the Church is facing a lawsuit from Bagen Law that also relates to child sexual abuse.
Horowitz Law is further suing Mariano and Clara Rivera in New York on behalf of a child sexual abuse victim who they allegedly intimated to stay quiet. The case is directly connected to ILC but they are not a defendant. The case is still moving through litigation.
