WASHINGTON (DC)
WTOP TV
May 3, 2019
By Neal Augenstein
A D.C. Catholic priest has been indicted on seven counts of sexually abusing two children and a woman who were parishioners. He will plead not guilty, his lawyer told WTOP.
Court records show Urbano Vazquez, who was a priest at Shrine of the Sacred Heart, was indicted on four felony counts — two for second-degree sex abuse with a victim under age 12, and two with a victim under 18. He was also charged with three related misdemeanors.
“Father Urbano intends to contest the charges,” defense attorney Robert Bonsib said.
Vazquez faces a statutory maximum of 30 years, six months in prison.
In March, Vazquez and his attorney rejected a plea offer to reduced charges, in which he could have faced up to 11 years behind bars.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.