Priest pleads guilty to luring

By Amanda Renner
Chronicle
May 11, 2016

http://www.thechronicleonline.com/news_paid/priest-pleads-guilty-to-luring/article_d6dfef1e-17c3-11e6-94a5-f3ca047f399d.html

A former Scappoose priest who was charged with attempting to lure a minor into his vehicle has pleaded guilty.

On May 6, Fr. Michael Patrick, 59, appeared before Judge Gregory Gonzales in Clark County Superior Court, where he pleaded guilty to one count of luring.

On April 2, 2014, Patrick was said to have been returning from a trip out of the country when Los Angeles Police arrested him on a felony warrant after someone reported to police that he attempted to lure a juvenile female into his vehicle.

Vancouver Police Department Public Information Coordinator Kim Kapp confirmed at the time of his 2014 arrest, “Last month patrol received a call that a juvenile had a male that was following her and offering her a ride. She called her parents and called the police. We took the information, developed suspect information on Mr. Patrick and then sent it to the Juvenile Justice Center that investigates child related cases. Information the female provided and the other witnesses provided developed probable cause to arrest him for one count of luring. They served a search warrant on Mr. Patrick’s residence shortly after incident, a warrant was issued and he was arrested in California.”

According to an April 11, 2014, article from the Catholic Sentinel, Patrick studied at Our Lady of Lanka National Seminary in Kandy, Sri Lanka and was ordained in 1983. He served at parishes and the seminary in Sri Lanka and also taught at the University of Jaffna there. In 1991, he studied canon law at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. In 1998, he moved to Portland to work in the marriage tribunal and assist at St. Alexander in Cornelius. He had also served at St. Patrick in Portland, St. Edward in Keizer, St. Philip Benizi in Redland and Holy Trinity in Bandon. Patrick was assigned to Scappoose in 2012.

His sentencing is scheduled for May 23 at 2:30 p.m., in Clark County Superior Court.