Mugshot Image Source: Montgomery County Police Department via Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Churches and their ministers are meant to offer a safe haven, spiritual guidance, and community, particularly for young people who rely on them for mentorship and support.
However, New Testament Church and Nathaniel Morales failed profoundly in their duties.
A new civil lawsuit filed by Andreozzi + Foote names both New Testament Church, Inc. and Nathaniel Morales as defendants, alleging that the church failed to protect the children in its care by allowing a predator to have unsupervised access to them.
Decades Later, the Truth Comes to Light
Filed in Maryland’s Montgomery County Circuit Court, the lawsuit represents two survivors who were sexually abused as children by Morales while living in church-operated group homes and attending New Testament Church activities in Washington, D.C., and Maryland in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The lawsuit asserts that Morales used his trusted role as a minister and youth leader of New Testament Church to befriend and then abuse the victims. Tragically, the victims in this lawsuit represent only a portion of those harmed by Morales.
The lawsuit further alleges that the church failed to act on the danger Morales posed, ignoring red flags and ultimately allowing him to sexually abuse children under their supervision.
A Convicted Predator
Morales is a convicted sex offender serving a 40-year sentence in Maryland for abusing multiple boys at another congregation, Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg. His pattern of infiltrating churches and targeting youth is well-documented.
According to the civil lawsuit, which references the criminal prosecution, Maryland State’s Attorney Amanda Michalski described Morales as “a minister [who] infiltrated churches… schools… administration positions… to target young children. [He] used their faith…to keep them quiet about the abuse.”
Judge Terrance McGann, who presided over one of Morales’s prosecutions, referred to him as a “cowardly pervert” and told Morales directly: “[You] are one pathetic human being…Your wires are permanently twisted.”
More on Morales’s background can be found on our first perpetrator profile and in this WJLA news report.
Civil Lawsuits Give Survivors a Voice
If you were abused by Nathaniel Morales, another leader at New Testament Church, or any other church leader, know that you’re not alone and that you have options.
Filing a civil lawsuit is one way survivors can reclaim their voice, hold institutions accountable, and pursue justice on their own terms. It can also provide access to resources that support long-term healing and recovery.
At Andreozzi + Foote, we represent survivors in civil cases with compassion and purpose. If you’re ready to explore your legal options, our team will listen and advocate for you every step of the way.
Contact us by phone or email for a free, confidential consultation.
