Ignite Life Center Culprit Sits in Front Row During Church Sermon
Updated Apr 3: Originally did not include bail requirement of GPS tracking device.
After being released on July 20th, 2023, a day after he was imprisoned on $40,000 bond, Christian David Vargas continues to attend the church where he committed the alleged sexual abuses he is being charged with.
Vargas’ conditions for bail are to wear a global positioning system (GPS), not contact the victim, to not have unsupervised contact with minors, and to have a curfew from 6 am to 7 pm except for work, school, and church purposes.
In a photo on the Ignite Life Center Instagram account, which was posted on November 18, 2023, Vargas can be identified sitting at a table in the background. He is in the back right corner, wearing glasses and black clothing.
In a sermon that was live streamed at Ignite Life Center on January 21st, 2024, Vargas’ father, Senior Pastor Mark Vega, can be seen pointing to Vargas and whispering to an attendee, “Pray for my son.” A minute later, Vargas can be seen slightly turning his head, making him more clearly identifiable.
On February 20th, 2024, in response to the recent arrest of associate pastor’s son Noel Cruz, an anonymous tipper from Ignite Life Center made a statement accusing the church of handling his reported sexual abuses internally before being proven right by court documents days later. According to the same tipper, the film crew at Ignite Life Center has been conducting strategic camera work in order to avoid public displays of Vargas. They also noted Vargas is 6’3 and typically sits in the front row.
Throughout the video, Vega speaks in tongues and claims to have the “power of God” inside of him. The tipper detailed how Vega misuses the spiritual language.
“He’s speaking in tongues. It’s supposed to be a spiritual language, but he is taking it completely out of context and using it improperly. It’s a tactic he uses to seem more ‘holy’ or in tune with the Holy Spirit.”
Most recently, Vargas has been granted a continuance and will be called for case management on Monday, April 8th.
According to the Alachua County Sheriff's Office Department of Jail, Noel Cruz was released on February 23rd, four days after he was arrested and charged with lewd or lascivious battery against a person under 16 years old. His conditions for bail are to not have contact with the victim, to not have unsupervised contact with minor children, to not possess firearms, and to be fitted with a tracking device.
Gabriel Hemenez, who was arrested on July 6th, 2023, after admitting to molesting multiple teenage boys during the church’s summer program, is expected to plead guilty this month.
Ignite Life Center runs numerous youth programs for children, including summer programs and a foster care program.
