A Katy man was arrested in Waller County Jan. 14 on a child sex assault charge that may include instances in as many as four counties, including Austin County.
Nilson Daniel Vargas, 39, surrendered at the Waller County Sheriff’s Office and is in jail under a $500,000 bond on a charge of aggravated sex assault on a child.
According to his attorney, Paul Looney, Vargas has allegedly confessed to sexually abusing boys. Although authorities have not publicly disclosed the extent of the abuse, a source close to the investigation said at least three boys have come forward so far.
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Vargas was a member of Christian City Fellowship near Sealy where he allegedly met, groomed and assaulted some of his victims. According to Pastor Rusty Griffin, Vargas is accused of abusing boys at the church and at several places outside the church, including homes and motels. Because Katy is the convergence point of three counties – Waller, Harris and Fort Bend – it is suspected that abuse may have occurred in each of the counties, plus Austin.
“He made acquaintance with the victim and their family through attending Christian City Fellowship and its functions,” Griffin said in an email blast to the congregation last week. “He was in no way ever a part of the staff or leadership of CCF.”
Looney said his client approached him about turning himself in, wanting to come clean about his crimes and to seek help for his problem. Griffin said while Vargas was the one to initiate the surrender, it came only after he was confronted last summer.
Griffin said the abuse reportedly occurred in the early 2000s. Vargas and his family moved to Norway for five years with his job. They returned about two years ago. Last summer Vargas contacted one of his victims with a text message. That’s when the victim, now an adult, disclosed the abuse.
“Nobody knew anything was going on,” Griffin said.
As soon as the abuse was disclosed to him, Griffin reported it to authorities on June 9 and informed Vargas that he would have to leave the church.
The victim who made the disclosure is referred to by Griffin as Victim No. 1. He was never assaulted at the church but was assaulted in a home and at motels. The one Griffin calls Victim No. 2 was assaulted in the church, at his home in Waller County and at several motels in the Katy area. That is the victim the charge and arrest are based on. Griffin said that late last week a third victim has come forward but was only exposed to pornography and never touched physically by Vargas.
Griffin said he reported the case to Sealy police and to Fort Bend County, where Vargas lives and it was believed at least one of the assaults took place. The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation and was about to make an arrest when the second victim surfaced and the case was moved to Waller County, although it appears all four counties may have grounds to prosecute.
“There are other jurisdictions interested in him,” said Craig Davis, chief deputy with the Waller County Sheriff’s Office.
Griffin said that while the church is being as open and transparent as it can about the case he opted not to disclose it publicly last summer out of respect of the law enforcement investigation and the wishes of the victims and Vargas’s wife and children, who still attend the church. He said Vargas’s family did not know what happened until the disclosure was made. They are now in the process of getting a divorce.
Griffin said he sent out an email blast on Jan. 13 when a Houston TV station showed up unannounced at the church to report the story.
“The victims are really heroes,” Griffin said of their bravery to disclose the abuse.
He said he and his staff are counseling the victims and the Vargas family. They are also getting professional help outside the church.
“We (Christian City) are a place to heal, a place to restore,” he said. “We have complete confidence in God.”
