RATON (NM)
The New Mexican
By Anne Constable | The New Mexican
February 24, 2006
The Rev. George Silva, 73, formerly a priest at two Catholic parishes in Raton, was arrested Thursday by FBI agents on charges of sexual misconduct involving a minor.
A federal grand jury in Albuquerque indicted Silva on Wednesday on four counts involving transporting a boy under the age of 16 from New Mexico to France and Portugal for criminal and illicit sexual activity.
The allegations against Silva were first reported to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe last June,. The allegations set in motion its Sexual Abuse Policy, an archdiocese news release says.
The archdiocese informed law-enforcement authorities of the charges and immediately placed Silva on administrative leave pending results of an internal investigation.
The archdiocese says it found "credible evidence" to support the allegations, and Silva was placed on restricted status, meaning he was not permitted to carry out priestly duties or even to wear clerical attire. According to Dr. Wayne Pribble, the victim's assistance coordinator for the archdiocese, Silva continued to live in Raton, where he was arrested.