Former Dallas Catholic Priest Arrested In Missouri, Accused Of Sexual Assault Of Child
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A former Catholic priest in Dallas has been arrested and is accused of sexual assault of a child that dates back to 1989.
Authorities said Richard Brown is in jail in Jefferson County, Missouri after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was taken into custody on Wednesday and is being held without bond.
The warrant came after Dallas police raided the Diocese of Dallas offices in May 2019 in regards to numerous allegations of sexual abuse.
According to the diocese, it gave police files on Brown back in December 2018. The diocese also sent a letter to police in September of last year, hoping for Brown's arrest.
According to police, the incident involving Brown happened in July 1989.
"It is our prayer that the arrest of Richard Brown will provide an opportunity for the legal system to address the accusations against him," the diocese said in a statement. "The Diocese stripped Richard Brown of his public ministry decades ago and he has been officially laicized."
The Diocese of Dallas released a list in January 2019 of names of priests with credible allegations of sexual abuse of children against them, which went back as far as the 1950s.
"We are grateful that an arrest has been made and looking forward to seeing justice served," Bishop Edward Burns said in a statement.
