ROGER W. ROBERTSON IS LED OUT OF THE MARIPOSA COUNTY COURTHOUSE IS HANDCUFFS LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AFTER BEING CONVICTED OF THREE FELONY SEX CRIMES. THE COULTERVILLE AREA FAITH HEALER WILL BE SENTENCED FOR HIS CRIMES ON SEPT. 9. GAZETTE PHOTO BY DAN TUCKER The North County pastor charged with sex crimes against a member of his congregation has been found guilty of three of the four counts he faced. A Mariposa County Superior Court jury reached its verdict on Tuesday afternoon.

Roger Wayne Robertson, 64, of Coulterville, remained devout even as jailers placed him in handcuffs following the verdict. He turned to a sobbing woman in the courtroom, who appeared to be his wife, and said, “Save some souls.”

Robertson will have plenty of time to contemplate salvation, as he was taken into custody after the verdict was read. He was previously out of custody on bail.

The five-man, sevenwoman jury spent weeks listening to witness testimony and even visiting the site of Robertson’s church in Coulterville. When all was said and done, the jurors convicted Robertson of sexual penetration with a foreign object, attempted forcible rape and kidnapping. He was found not guilty of dissuading a victim from going to law enforcement.

Robertson was arrested on the charges in October, 2009. According to the sheriff’s report, Robertson allegedly lured his victim to his Coulterville area ranch, where he operated a church, under the guise that he needed some work done. He then reportedley took her to the church building, forced her to the ground and attempted to rape her. He made a similar attempt in his home.

The victim said she had attended services at Robertson’s church because she had been told by friends that he could perform miracles. She hoped to seek a cure for her daughter’s diabetes.

Once there, however, she was a little more skeptical. “I did not see any miracles,” she said through a Spanish language interpreter. During her closing argument, Mariposa County Deputy District Attorney Kim Fletcher said the victim was particularly vulnerable to Robertson for this reason.

“She believed there was something special about this place,” Fletcher said. “Because this is a ‘man of God,’ she trusted him. The defendant is a rapist. He’s a predator of the worst kind. He’s a predator who hides behind religion or doing some good deed.”

The victim had testified that she feared for her life on that October day. She first reported the crime to Merced Police, where she lives. They referred her to Mariposa, where she made the report on Oct. 14, 2009. Once the report was made, she said, “I was afraid, but at the same time I felt good. Had I not faced things how many other victims might there be?” she said.

Fletcher, who prosecuted Robertson, asked that Robertson be taken into custody following the delivery of the verdict. “He faces a life sentence and is a huge flight risk,” Fletcher told Mariposa County Superior Court Judge Dana Walton. She asked that his bail be raised from $250,000 to $1 million.

Walton agreed, saying, “Based on the evidence, this court finds this man is in fact a danger to the public and to the victim.” Robertson will be sentenced on Sept. 9.

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