Former Texas Priest Indicted On Child Sexual Abuse Charges
HOUSTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — A victim advocacy group says the indictment of a Houston-area Roman Catholic priest on child indecency charges sends a message that "those who hurt children can and will be held accountable."
Manuel La Rosa-Lopez of Conroe was indicted Thursday on two of four counts that had led to his September 11, 2018 arrest.
The two counts arise from allegations made by a female parishioner who accused La Rosa-Lopez of courting her for sex and groping her in 2000 when she was a teenager.
Tyler Dunman, chief of the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office Special Crimes Bureau, says he expects more indictments "relatively soon."
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said Friday it hopes the indictment encourages other victims to come forward.
La Rosa-Lopez's attorney, Wendell Odom, says his client maintains his innocence.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)