By John Tunison
The Grand Rapids Press
April 1, 2009
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/04/mason_county_priest_charged_wi.html
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| The Rev. Johnson Jeyabal Pappusamy |
MASON COUNTY -- A 38-year-old Catholic priest recently removed from two Mason County parishes now has been charged with sexual assault against another adult.
The Rev. Johnson Jeyabal Pappusamy was arraigned Wednesday in Mason County District Court for fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, a charge typically involving inappropriate touching. He was released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond.
Police and prosecutors have not released details of the alleged Feb. 11 incident. But Pappusamy's attorney, Jeff Crampton of Grand Rapids, said it allegedly happened at the Ludington Meijer store and Pappusamy did not know the 28-year-old victim.
Crampton said the incident was not related to any church activities and Pappusamy told him earlier there was no intentional inappropriate contact.
Pappusamy was pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Custer and St. Jerome Catholic Church in Scottville, both east of Ludington, before he was removed from "active ministry" in light of the police investigation.
Pappusamy was ordained in India in 1998 as a priest in the Rome-based Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales. He had been assigned to the Grand Rapids Diocese before his removal.
He previously served as parish administrator at All Saints Catholic Church in Fremont and St. Joseph Catholic Church in White Cloud, but also was a parochial vicar at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Rockford in 2007.
Fourth-degree criminal sexual is a high-court misdemeanor with a possible two-year prison sentence.
E-mail John Tunison: jtunison@grpress.com
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