Another Abuse Victim Names Defrocked Priest

By Donna De Jesus
Pacific News Center
June 2, 2017

http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/local/13659

There are now 72 reported victims of child sex abuse, with the latest filing a complaint against defrocked priest, Raymond Cepeda.

Guam - Raymond Cepeda served as a priest at the Santa Barbara Catholic Church in Dededo and at the Cathedral Basilica, and was defrocked in 2009 after he was accused of sexual abuse in 2004.

The latest complaint filed yesterday through attorney David Lujan was by a man using the initials R.Q. This is the sixth time Cepeda has been named as the offender in these church abuse cases. What’s a little different about this alleged victim is that R.Q. was not an altar server. He claims to have been abused when he was taking confirmation classes at the Dededo Parish, of which Cepeda was in charge.

One of the requirements for the class is for students to perform community service at the church. R.Q. was tasked to be a reader for the 5:30 p.m. mass every Saturday. In court documents, R.Q. alleges that Cepeda would have him stay at the rectory after mass. While there, the complaint says Cepeda would fondle and sexually abuse R.Q. almost every week.

Even at outside functions, R.Q. claims if Cepeda was also in attendance, he would insist on taking R.Q. home. Although he says he did not want to ride with Cepeda because he knew what his true intentions were, R.Q. obeyed anyway because he was a priest. In the car, Cepeda would fondle R.Q. and then take him to a secluded place or to the rectory where Cepeda would continue to abuse him. R.Q. is asking for $5 million in damages.

You can read the full complaint by clicking on the attachment below.