KSBW
March 16, 2011
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| Rev. Antonio Cortes was arrested last month after a 16-year-old walked into the Salinas police station and accused the priest of providing him with alcohol and then molesting him, starting when he was a 14-year-old. |
SALINAS, Calif. -- The Rev. Antonio Cortes, 41, pastor of Saint Mary of The Nativity Catholic Church in Salinas, on Wednesday pleaded no contest to 14 charges filed against him after his arrest in April 2009.
The charges included two felony counts: possession of pornography and sexual acts with a minor. There were also 12 misdemeanor counts, including child molestation, furnishing alcohol to a minor, cruelty to a child and performing an immoral act before a child.
The court indicated Cortes will be sentenced to felony probation, although the district attorney's office can still argue for prison time. Cortes will also be required to register as a sex offender.
In a statement, the Diocese of Monterey said its representatives learned of the plea Wednesday morning. The diocese said it believed in the justice system and was grateful Cortes had taken responsibility for his actions.
"This is a sad day for the Diocese of Monterey and, indeed, for the Church, universal," said Bishop Richard Garcia in the statement. "We are working hard to rebuild our parishioners' trust, and when a breach of that trust occurs, it hurts our priests, our parishioners and those directly involved in this terrible situation."
The diocese will continue the church's legal process and send Cortes' case to Rome, according to the statement. Cortes remains suspended and has no faculties to function as a priest, the Diocese said.
Cortes is scheduled to be sentenced by the California legal system in May.
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