The senior pastor of this church says Im ministered to a variety of parishioners, adults and young people, and that he was well respected.
On Wednesday of last week, San Ramon police arrested Im at his home after they found a 17-year-old girl and her sister, also a minor.
San Ramon police went to the home at the request of San Mateo County sheriff's investigators who said they believed two girls who were runaways from San Mateo might be at Im's house.
Then this week, the district attorney charged Im with having sex with the 17-year-old. He was also charged with hiding the two girls at his place.
The senior pastor of the church tells ABC7 News that Im had actually ministered to the girls and their mother, who were parishioners.
"He was helping all three of them," the Rev. Jason Jeon said. "John was helping them find a place to stay and in every sense possible john was helping them physically and spiritually."
Apparently the mom found a house in San Mateo and moved there, according to Jeon. That's when the three stopped going to the church.
On Friday, Im left a voice mail at the church.
"He said he'd let me know when everything is sorted out so that I took it as his innocence, his claim of innocence," Jeon said.
Jeon says it was actually the girls' mother who recommended that they hire Im.
Im was also charged with animal cruelty. When investigators searched his house, they found a small dog that had allegedly been abused and then died.
