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A 30-year-old priest in the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese used his position of trust to carry on an inappropriate — and criminal — seven-month relationship with a girl half his age, law enforcement officials said Tuesday in announcing his arrest.

The Rev. James Michael Taylor, an associate pastor at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Niskayuna, engaged in physical contact and shared phone calls, text messages and pictures with a 15-year-old girl he met a few years ago while serving as a deacon and youth minister at Corpus Christi Church in Clifton Park, police said.

The unlawful contact occurred in Saratoga County from October 2013 until recently, according to county Sheriff Michael Zurlo. The girl lived in Clifton Park. Police on Tuesday charged Taylor, who was raised in Georgia and converted to Catholicism as a young man, with endangering the welfare of a minor, a misdemeanor. They announced the arrest in District Attorney James A. Murphy III's office with the hope it would encourage other potential victims to contact authorities.

"There may be additional charges," Murphy said. "There may be additional victims as well." He declined to reveal content of the messages Taylor allegedly sent or characterize the alleged physical contact.

Taylor, who parishioners call "Father Michael," pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday in Clifton Park Town Court. The priest was ordained in 2012 and joined the St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish the same year, according to the Albany Diocese. It pledged to assist in the investigation.

On Monday, the diocese received a complaint of Taylor having contact with a minor and immediately forwarded it to Murphy's office, Bishop Edward Scharfenberger said in an interview Wednesday. The arrest marked the first challenge Scharfenberger has faced since he was installed as leader of the diocese April 10. The bishop placed Taylor on administrative leave, meaning he loses his right to say Mass in public during the investigation.

"Our desire now is to cooperate with civil authorities and to do whatever we can in terms of education, discussion and dialogue," Scharfenberger said. "We have to address any potential criminal matter first and then the pain of what happened."

Scharfenberger said he spoke with Taylor and requested a face-to-face meeting as soon as possible.

"He's quite distraught, to say the least," Scharfenberger said.

Taylor's arrest devastated staff at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish.

"All I can say is that I am stunned and feeling about every emotion I have ever felt," the Rev. Robert Longobucco wrote in an email to congregants. "I know many of you are as well. I will never stop believing and loving our parish and all of you." The church sent letters to parents of children in the church to inform them of what happened.

Zurlo said the victim's parents contacted the sheriff's office Monday.

"Once we received the call, we took immediate action," the sheriff said. He and Murphy urged other parents to come forward if they believe their children had contact with Taylor. Murphy said it was important the child's parents went to authorities rather than try to work out a secret agreement with the diocese, saying "a civil complaint would not have been an appropriate remedy in this case."

Taylor was charged with knowingly acting in a manner likely to be injurious to the physical, mental or moral welfare of a child less than 17 years old. He was released pending an appearance in Clifton Park Town Court at 4 p.m. May 14. Judge James Hughes will preside.

The national Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests reacted to Taylor's arrest on its website within a few hours of Wednesday's news conference.

"We are grateful this predator is being held accountable, but worried that he has been released," SNAP Director David Clohessy of St. Louis said. "Even though there is an order of protection for the victim, there could be more victims who have not yet come forward."

The name of the attorney representing Taylor was not available Wednesday. Murphy said Taylor had no prior criminal history. Taylor grew up in a military city near Macon, Ga., and converted to Catholicism as a freshman in college. Taylor completed his pre-theology training at Siena College and his studies at Mundelein Seminary at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Chicago. A U.S. Army captain, Taylor's first assignment as a priest was at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish. He resides on Union Street near the church, according to the sheriff's office.

The diocese said it was notifying parishes where Taylor lived.

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"Sexual abuse is a crime and an egregious sin, and the Albany Diocese has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual abuse of children by clerics," diocese spokesman Ken Goldfarb said in a statement. "Any priest or deacon against whom an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor is substantiated at any time is permanently removed from ministry." Prior to being ordained, Taylor served in churches in Illinois, South Carolina, St. Peter's in Saratoga Springs, Blessed Sacrament in Albany, St. Jude's in Wynantskill and in Corpus Christi for a year, according to The Evangelist, a publication produced by the Albany diocese.

In a 2012 interview with The Evangelist, Taylor addressed the clergy sexual abuse scandal that had broke out. "You learn that the frailties of the human condition exist even in the priesthood," he said.

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