Priest from Mexico accused of sexual abuse of minor while visiting Chicago, Archdiocese says
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A priest from Mexico who has visited Chicago is accused of sexually abusing a minor in the city years ago, the Archdiocese of Chicago said in a letter on Sunday.
Father Ernest Tovar-Trejo is from the Diocese of Tampico, Mexico.
Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, says the father celebrated Mass without the proper permission at Maternity of the Blessed Mother Church on West North Avenue in Humboldt Park.
Father Tovar-Trejo been told he can not minister as a priest while he is under investigation.
"Our responsibility for the welfare of the children entrusted to our care is of paramount importance to us," a statement from the Archdiocese read in part. "The Archdiocese of Chicago encourages anyone who feels they have been sexually abused by a priest, deacon, religious or lay employee to come forward. They will be received with dignity and compassion."
No further information was immediately available.
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Priest Dennis Finbow said sex abuse claims were nonsense
Finbow was convicted in early 2023 for sexually abusing a child in the 1980s.
However, recent allegations made against the 77-year-old dated back to 1974.
The disgraced priest, who served in St Neots and Peterborough, touched a boy in 1974 at a school where he was teaching, prior to being ordained.
He also abused an altar boy between August 1984 and August 1985, a girl between February 1984 and February 1985, a girl between 1987 and 1991 and a third girl between 1987 and 1988.
He met these victims through his work as a priest in the Catholic Church.
Finbow said that all of the claims made against him were "nonsense" in a police interview, but he admitted multiple offences on Friday, October 10, at Cambridge Crown Court.
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"At the time, he was seen to do a lot of good within the community: running youth social clubs, football clubs and taking part in charity events.
"We never want to entertain the thought that a person in a position of trust would harm a child, yet unfortunately it does happen and Finbow used his role in society to engineer opportunities to offend.
"The Diocese of East Anglia has been instrumental in working with the force by allowing access to their records and taking their own safeguarding actions against Finbow, who said that he was ‘disgusted’ by the accusations when interviewed by police, yet pleaded guilty to 15 counts of child sex offences.
"His offending was prolific, and over many years.
"I would encourage anyone who has been affected by sexual abuse, no matter how long ago, to come forward and report it."
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