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Investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department asked additional victims to move forward after a Catholic priest was charged with sexual abuse of a minor on Wednesday.
Eight felony of sexual abuse was charged in Los Angeles County last week after the Priest East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station area began investigating reports of sexual abuse that occurred on March 22.
County jail records show that Aliaga Pedroza was booked for rape. He is in custody without bail.
Ariaga Pedrosa, who was taken away from our Virgin Virgin Ministry of Our Lady of the Catholic Church in Downey by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles last week, worked at St. Louis, a French Catholic Church in La Puente, the Sheriff’s Office said.
“Based on the nature of the crime, detectives believe there may be additional casualties,” law enforcement said in a statement.
The Archdiocese, which reached a $880 million settlement over 1,354 child sexual abuse claims last October, said under a “zero tolerance policy,” anyone who “finds to have hurt a minor” has been permanently removed from his or her work.
“The Archdiocese has a long-standing commitment to protecting minors and reporting and preventing abuse,” the Archdiocese said in a statement, adding that it had reported Ariaga to law enforcement. The priest eventually surrendered to the authorities.
Since his appointment in June 2024, Ariaga has been the church’s assistant pastor, the Archdiocese confirmed.
Anyone with information regarding this crime will be requested to contact Sergeant Joseph Selda, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – Special Victims Department – (877) 710 -LASD (5273) or (213) 264-8732. If you want to provide information anonymously, you can call “crime stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), texting Tipla, or using Tipla Plus Tip to Crimes (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
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