Former Catholic Priest sentenced to four years in sex abuse case

A former Roman Catholic Priest has received a four-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting boy from St. Charles when the child was 12 to 13 years old, according to the Daily Herald. Alejandro Flores, age 37, of Shorewood, Illinois pleaded guilty on Wednesday to Class I felony criminal sexual abuse.

The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office alleged that defendant sexually abused the boy that he met while working at St. Mary’s Church, which is located in West Chicago. The child was reportedly abused on multiple occasions in the priest’s car and in the boy’s home. It was also alleged that the priest attempted to have sexual relations with the victim’s older brother.

Due to this conviction, the former priest must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and he will likely face deportation to his home country of Bolivia when he is released from prison. He will serve at least 85% of the sentence, which comes out to about three years and five months.

In January, 2010, the boy’s mother reported the abuse to the Joliet Archdiocese, NBC News reported. Later that month he fell from a church balcony in what is been reported as an attempted suicide. He was hospitalized at that time, but not seriously injured, and he was arrested after being released from the hospital. At that time he was serving as a priest at Holy Family Church in Shorewood, Illinois.

It is not been reported if the family of the minor has retained Chicago-area sex abuse attorney or if a civil lawsuit has been filed.

The effects of sexual abuse to a minor can be very damaging and long-lasting. Sex abuse victims are more likely to suffer from depression, and more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs as adults. Click here to read more about sex abuse cases.