By Shereen Siewert
Delfino R. O’Day-Figueroa was convicted by a jury in July following a three-day trial. Jurors deliberated for about three hours before finding him guilty of repeated sexual assault of the same child, involving at least three violations, according to online court records.
O’Day-Figueroa was known by the victim as “Pastor Ray.” He was a leader at Song Life Nulife Gospel Oasis, a former church on the retail level of the Landmark Building on Scott Street in Wausau. Worship services were held there for several years and witnesses said O’Day-Figueroa was a pastor there until about 2019.
The Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry shows O’Day-Figueroa, 53, was convicted in 1995 in Milwaukee County of second-degree sexual assault of a child. Online court records also show a 2008 conviction on fourth-degree sexual assault charges in Marathon County. He is also known by the name Delfino Figueroa.
The victim, now 18, told investigators that the abuse began in 2014 and continued for years while “Pastor Ray” was regularly visiting her family’s home. The girl’s father, who had experienced medical issues while O’Day-Figueroa was offering his “help” at the home, only later became aware of the man’s sex offender status.
On Nov. 3, prosecutors filed charges of repeated sexual assault of a child against O’Day-Figueroa. He was charged as a persistent repeater, because he was previously convicted of a serious child sex offense. That factor cleared the way for the life sentence, which was handed down Tuesday by Circuit Judge Scott Corbett.
Restitution has not yet been determined.
O’Day-Figueroa was immediately remanded to the custody of the Wisconsin Prison System for processing.
