JERSEY CITY -- A 27-year-old Jersey City man testified Wednesday at the trial of a North Bergen pastor that the "sexorcist" prayed over him before molesting him in packed van heading to a prayer service in 2009.

"This is a case about faith," Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Andrew Baginski said in his opening statement this morning in the trial of convicted child molester and bail jumper Gregorio Martinez, 50. Martinez was sentenced to four years for the sex assault of a 13-year-old and five years for bail-jumping earlier this year.

"Those who hold positions of authority in our religious community hold a lot of power that can be abused," Baginski said. "The evidence in this case will show that Gregorio Martinez used the power that he had to kiss and touch a young man's penis for his sexual gratification."

"It's not about faith," said defense attorney Daniel Gonzalez in his opening statement. "It's about a young man who says something happened to him. ... An 18-year old man, who you are going to hear from his own mouth, pulled down his pants, pulled down his underwear, all by himself."

Gonzalez suggested that the alleged victim was ashamed that he may have had a sexual relationship with a man, and deflected it by claiming he had been sexually assaulted.

The 27-year-old Jersey City native said he met Martinez in 2008, at a time when he was lost and very anti-social.

"He was well known in the United States and around the world," the 27-year-old said of Martinez. "He said God put him on this Earth to pray over us. He just wanted to pray over us. I looked to him as somebody who was a mentor, who was a guide."

The man said that on a long ride to a prayer service, Martinez reached over and touched his crotch area.

"I was very shocked and confused and I just took his hand and I threw it aside," said the 27-year-old who said he went to at least three, two-to-three-hour prayer services each week.

The man said that on another occasion, Martinez and the alleged victim were alone in a care when Martinez said he wanted to pray over him. He said this time Martinez reached inside his pants.

"I was pretty shocked and confused because of the way that he did it – he started with prayer," the 27-year-old said. "We closed our eyes and he would just go inside and grab me and start ..."

Finally, the man said Martinez came to his home unannounced one day, took him aside and asked him about his sexual habits. He said Martinez became concerned and said he wanted to pray over him, so they went inside.

He said Martinez prayed over him and then said he wanted to pray over his genitals. The 27-year-old said he pulled down his own pants and underwear and Martinez prayed over his genitals, which he also touched and kissed.

"I thought this was actually the right thing to do -- pray over a body part if it was messing with you," the man said.

But under cross examination, the man admitted that when first interviewed by detectives in 2015, he said that when he met Martinez, he thought Martinez may be a homosexual, he didn't trust Martinez and that there as something fishy about him.

Martinez's lawyer asked the man if he told the detective "I would punch him in the face if he touched my penis."

"Correct," he replied, and the man also admitted he never told the detective he had been alone in a car with Martinez. He said he told the detective that Martinez helped him take his pants off and only later in the interview did he say the kiss had happened.

Gonzalez noted that the man never told the detective that Martinez had gotten down on his knees and the man replied, "The reason why I didn't tell her is I still wasn't comfortable at that time."

Gonzalez also asked the man if he used the phrase "I'm not ashamed to tell you" early in an interview with the detective. He said he did not remember, but after reviewing the transcript, the man said "Yes."

Gonzalez asked the alleged victim if Martinez had touched him for a longer period of time when they were alone in the car and the man said he had.

"So you allowed that?" Gonzalez pressed.

"Yes," the man answered.

Finally, Gonzalez noted that the man provided more details on the stand today than he had when interviewed three years ago. Asked if his memory was better then or now. the alleged victim said "I'd probably say, yes, back in 2015."

The alleged victim continued his testimony Wednesday. The trial is expected to finish Thursday.

Martinez faces five to 10 years in prison if convicted. The trial is before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mirtha Ospina in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.