An Oklahoma County judge sentenced a 41-year-old former Oklahoma City-area pastor to 30 years in prison after Elmer Baca Flores was convicted of trafficking members of his own congregation for forced labor and sexually abusing a child. Flores ran his church out of his home, and investigators said he spiritually coerced congregants by targeting their religious convictions.
A Yearslong Investigation Into a Home Church
The case traces back to March 2025, when the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Human Trafficking Unit received information that Flores was trafficking members of his church, according to News9. Agents interviewed several victims and gathered evidence that Flores allegedly forced them to quit their jobs and isolate themselves from their families. He then required them to move into his church, which also served as his own residence, per the same report.
Victims told agents they were forced to work for Flores without compensation, according to the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, as reported by KOCO. Investigators said he threatened them with physical harm if they tried to leave. Flores also allegedly claimed to be a member of the violent gang MS-13, and he used his standing as pastor to spiritually coerce victims by targeting their religious convictions, the station's report notes.
Arrest, Amended Charges, and a Growing Case
The Oklahoma City Police Department arrested Flores in April 2025 on three counts of lewd acts with a child, booking him into the Oklahoma County Jail. By October 2025, the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office had amended the charges to include five counts of human trafficking for labor and one count of sexual battery, according to the same account. Flores's arrest also led the DA's office to file additional human trafficking charges involving eight more adults.
The case culminated on Tuesday, when Flores was convicted in Oklahoma County District Court on 13 counts of human trafficking for labor, one count of indecent or lewd acts with a child under 16, and two counts of lewd or indecent proposal to a child. KOCO reported that his convictions also included one count of sexual battery, and News9 also listed one count of sexual battery.
Sentence Includes Prison, Registration, and Deportation
An Oklahoma County judge sentenced Flores to 30 years in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. His sentence also includes sex offender registration and deportation, according to KOCO.
The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics said the case marks the first conviction for human trafficking for forced labor in Oklahoma. Donnie Anderson said he appreciated the work of the Human Trafficking Unit and the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office, and he praised the victims' bravery in coming forward to hold their trafficker accountable.
