The Press-Enterprise
October 26, 2010
http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_webpriest.eb495e.html
[the criminal complaint]
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| The Rev. Alejandro Jose Castillo |
An Ontario priest Tuesday pleaded not guilty to eight counts of felony sex crimes against a 12-year-old boy.
The Rev. Alejandro Jose Castillo, 57, was arrested Monday at his home in Ontario. Castillo was charged with seven counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under age 14 and one count of forcible lewd and lascivious acts with a child under age 14. The alleged acts occurred between October and December 2008 while Castillo was pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Ontario, according to the criminal complaint. If convicted, Castillo faces up to 22 years in prison, Ontario police said.
"It's a sad day for the diocese," said John Andrews, spokesman for the Diocese of San Bernardino. "It's an especially sad day for the good people at Our Lady of Guadalupe."
Castillo's attorney, Michael Scafiddi, did not return phone calls for comment.
Police believe there were at least four other victims, Ontario police Sgt. David McBride said. Police are continuing to investigate an alleged incident involving a 14-year-old boy for possible charges, he said.
The cases involving the other three alleged victims cannot be prosecuted because the one-year statute of limitations expired for the alleged offenses, said David Hidalgo, supervising deputy district attorney for San Bernardino County.
One of the alleged victims is a brother of the 12-year-old and was the subject of similar sexual conduct during the same time period but was 16 when the alleged offense occurred, which makes it misdemeanor sexual battery instead of a felony, Hidalgo said. Sexual battery includes actions such as fondling and groping, he said.
Another alleged act of sexual battery was committed against an 18-year-old man at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Rialto in 2000 and against a 23-year-old man in 2006, apparently at Our Lady of Guadalupe, Hidalgo said.
Castillo was removed from his duties as an active priest on June 25, the day after the parents of the two brothers contacted the diocese, Andrews said. Castillo moved out of the church rectory, and the diocese contacted police.
Castillo's arrest came 1½ months after the diocese in September publicly announced allegations of sexual abuse against Castillo in a letter read at the four Inland parishes where the priest served.
In an illustration of the intense emotions that swirl around accusations of priest sexual abuse, the diocese was assailed both for acting too quickly to reveal the allegations against Castillo and for not moving fast enough.
Joelle Casteix, Western regional director of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, said the diocese should have publicly announced the accusations immediately after learning of them, to protect potential victims. Casteix said Castillo should have been sent to a monastery rather than being allowed to live near the church.
The Coalition to Exonerate Fr. Alex, a group formed by parishioners to support Castillo, believed the priest was treated unfairly.
The coalition held vigils at Our Lady of Guadalupe and a demonstration at diocesan headquarters in San Bernardino to protest what members viewed as the diocese's rush to judgment against the priest, said coalition Director Ted Campos. The diocese should have waited until charges were filed to make the allegations public, he said.
Andrews said the diocese tried to strike a balance between the legal presumption of innocence of Castillo and the need to protect potential victims of sexual abuse and encourage past possible victims to come forward. The public announcement occurred after a special review board comprised mostly of laypersons found that the allegations against Castillo were "credible," Andrews said.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has required each diocese to have a majority-layperson review board since 2002, said Teresa Kettelkamp, executive director of the conference's secretariat of child and youth protection.
The San Bernardino diocese, which includes Riverside and San Bernardino counties, has had a review board since 1992, Andrews said.
Any other potential victims should call Ontario police Detective Mark Guski at 909-395-2726.
Reach David Olson at 951-368-9462 or dolson@PE.com
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