MINNESOTA
DL-Online
By Kevin Bonham
ROSEAU, Minn. – Cash bail of at least $1 million was set today for a Roman Catholic priest who fled to his native India eight years ago to avoid facing felony criminal sexual conduct charges stemming from incidents involving teenage girls between 2004 and 2005.
The Rev. Joseph Jeyapaul is facing two counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years imprisonment or $40,000 fine, or both. He also is facing one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, which is subject to a maximum penalty of 10 years or a $20,000 fine.
He is accused of sexually assaulting a parish member in Greenbush, Minn., when the victim was 14 and 15 years old, in 2004 and 2005. At the time, Jeyapaul was administrator of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Greenbush, as well as St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Middle River, Minn., and St. Edward’s Catholic Church in Karlstad, Minn.
In 2007, the charges were amended to include similar allegations involving a second girl who was 16 during the same time period.
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