A man who was recently ordained as a priest in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey has been arrested and charged with multiple sex crimes after he allegedly groped a teen girl in Boonton Township.
The suspect is a 37-year-old NJ resident who was ordained on July 1. He was slated to begin serving as Parochial Vicar of Saint Catherine of Siena Church, which is located in Mountain Lakes, NJ. However, the church stripped him of this assignment in response to the sex crime allegations.
According to Morris County authorities, the suspect placed his hand underneath the victim’s skirt and inappropriately touched her on the buttocks. The suspect then allegedly said, “You’re sexy” to the underage girl.
Following an investigation, the suspect was placed under arrest and charged with criminal sexual contact and child endangerment.
After being arrested and processed, the suspect was remanded to the Morris County Correctional Facility in Morristown, NJ. However, he was later released from jail.
While the sexual offense charges against the suspect remain pending, he will be on administrative leave and barred from participating in any official capacity with the church.
For additional information about this case, view the NJ.com article, “Priest Accused of Groping Girl a Month After Being Ordained.”
