OC Church Staffer Arrested for Decade-Long Child Sexual Assault

Michael Robert Maxwell, a 42-year-old prominent staff member of Redeemer Church of Orange County in Newport Beach, has been arrested and charged with multiple felony counts of sexual assault involving a teenage girl he is related to. The alleged abuse occurred repeatedly over a decade, from 2011 to 2018, and includes charges such as oral copulation, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, sexual penetration with a foreign object, lewd or lascivious acts with a child, and continuous sexual abuse of a child. The victim came forward to authorities in August 2025, prompting an investigation by the Irvine Police Department in partnership with Child Protective Services. Maxwell was booked into the Orange County Jail and has not yet entered a plea, with a future arraignment scheduled. Police have released Maxwell's photo and are seeking information from the public to determine if there are additional victims. Detective Vincent Vasquez is the contact for anyone with relevant information regarding the case.