Kenyan Priest Arrested in US for Defiling Old Parishioner
A priest born in Kenya was detained in San Antonio, Texas on Tuesday for sexually assaulting a former parishioner.
The priest who has worked in four Texas parishes since 2017 became a person of interest after he was accused of aggravated sexual assault by a church employee and parishioner earlier this year.
In response to the allegations, the Archdiocese of San Antonio engaged a private investigator to investigate.
After concluding his investigations, the private investigator confirmed that the Kenyan priest had assaulted the parishioner on three occasions beginning in November 2022.
When incidents occurred, the parishioner was employed at St. Luis Lima Catholic Church in Texas.
The parishioner told the private investigator that she sought spiritual guidance from the priest, but he ended up exploiting her vulnerability.
After concluding that the priest was responsible for the crimes, the archdiocese turned over the private investigator’s materials to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office on September 19.
Sheriff Javier Salazar received the file and, after conducting his own investigation, apprehended the suspect on September 27.
The archdiocese suspended the priest and urged other victims who may have been assaulted by the priest to come forward immediately after delivering the case file to Salazar’s office.
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“We encourage anyone who is a victim of sexual abuse to contact law enforcement. We also ask that victims contact the archdiocesan Office for Victims Assistance and Safe Environment,” the church told its congregants.
The Sheriff’s Office thanked the church for treating the matter seriously and ensuring justice was carried out.
“It is really nice to see the Roman Catholic Church and the archdiocese leaning forward on this issue,” Salazar remarked after the arrest.
He added that the victim was in a particularly vulnerable position when the cleric took advantage of her due to her past experiences.
“Unfortunately for her, she chose somebody to confide in, to rely upon, that quite frankly preyed upon her,” he commented.
If the cleric is found guilty of the charges against him, he will be excommunicated from the church.
He will not be able to celebrate mass or conduct a church service after his release from prison.
In addition, if the US courts find him culpable, he will serve between 2 and 20 years in prison.
Once he is released, he will be deported back to his home country and will have a difficult time obtaining a Visa to enter the United States again.
Kenyan Priest Arrested in US for Defiling Old Parishioner