Mariano and Clara Rivera Formally Named as Defendants in Civil Lawsuit
Pastors Mariano and Clara Rivera have been formally named as defendants in the civil lawsuits filed against them for covering up child sexual abuse incidents at their home and Ignite Life Center.
Originally, their church, Refuge of Hope (ROH), and an LLC that included their former estate were named as defendants, but the Riveras were effectively being sued because they founded and run ROH, with Clara Rivera serving as senior pastor.
The plaintiff’s attorney Adam Horowitz told ESPN that the Riveras were added as named defendants in an amended court filing finalized Wednesday. He said details within the lawsuit largely remained the same.
Mariano and Clara Rivera each face one count of premises liability, while the church, ROH, faces one count of negligent supervision and one count of premises liability.
According to the amended complaint, Rivera's residence at 1 Brook View Rye Lane at the time of the incidents has not changed.
The complaint alleges the victim was sexually abused by an older camper at the Ignite Life Center summer internship and then by ROH pastor Ruben Tavarez's son, Ruben Tavarez Jr., at the Riveras' residence.
Ruben Tavarez Jr. admitted to the victim's mother that he had sexually abused her, states the lawsuit.
More information on ILC is available in the investigation below.
