Montgomery County authorities raid rehab center for priests involved in sex-related crimes

Investigators work the scene of raid at the Shalom Center in connection with the arrest of Manuel La Rosa-Lopez, a former priest at ConroeÕs Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018, in Splendora. La Rosa-Lopez has been charged with four counts of indecency with a child allegedly almost 20 years ago. Rosa-Lopez was released from the Montgomery County Jail on $225,000 bond on September 13. less Investigators work the scene of raid at the Shalom Center in connection with the arrest of Manuel La Rosa-Lopez, a former priest at ConroeÕs Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018, in ... more Photo: Jason Fochtman/Staff Photographer Photo: Jason Fochtman/Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 18 Caption Close Montgomery County authorities raid rehab center for priests involved in sex-related crimes 1 / 18 Back to Gallery

Montgomery County law enforcement agencies raided a rehabilitation center in East Montgomery County Wednesday morning in search of evidence related to a former priest at Conroe's Sacred Heart Catholic Church who is accused of sexually abusing two children almost 20 years ago.

It was not known what specific evidence was collected from the Shalom Center off Morgan Drive. According to a 1995 U.S. Conference of Bishops survey on treatment centers, the location deals with priests involved in sex-related crimes.

At least 25 officials from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Conroe Police Department, Montgomery County District Attorney's Office and the Texas Rangers were on the scene.

Manuel La Rosa-Lopez, a former priest at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, turned himself into the Montgomery County Jail on Sept. 11 after the Conroe Police Department issued a warrant for his arrest. He is charged with four counts of indecency with a child. The alleged incidents span several years in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

He recently served as the pastor at St. John Fisher Catholic Church in Richmond and the episcopal vicar for Hispanics.

Montgomery County District Attorney's Office Special Crime Bureau Chief Tyler Dunman said it is believed Lopez received treatment at the facility at some point. He added it was not clear what type of treatment the priest received.

"(Our) coming here is a result of a search of the location in Fort Bend and sacred Heart Catholic Church. We believe there are documents here that would be important to our investigation into this priest. We are getting a lot of good calls and referrals to our office as well as Conroe Police Department with information and we are asking the public to continue to come forward."

Dunman said some of those calls are coming from outside Texas. He added they are continuing to follow up on those and declined to provide any details.

The two victims, a man and woman, recently reported the alleged abuse after numerous media reports detailing various sex scandals in the Catholic Church continued to surface. There is no statute of limitations on such sex crimes.

CHURCH RAID: Officials raid Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Conroe

The Archdiocese of Houston-Galveston said in a statement that La Rosa-Lopez has denied the allegations of sexual abuse.

The two accusers allege that Cardinal Daniel DiNardo did not do enough to protect children from La Rosa-Lopez after a female accuser's complaint was brought to him in 2001, and more recently after a male accuser met with Dinardo last month to recount his alleged sexual abuse from the years 1998 to 2000.

According to the arrest warrant, a male victim came forward late last month to report he was abused by La Rosa-Lopez as a child younger than 17.

The victim told law enforcement officers that La Rosa-Lopez began touching him and making intimate gestures that continued to increase in frequency and severity over a period between 1998 and 2000 culminating Oct. 5, 1999. On the day, the victim reported La Rosa-Lopez called him to his living quarters and began showing the victim photos of partially naked men. When the victim tried to leave, La Rosa-Lopez allegedly physically stopped him and then sexually assaulted him.

A second victim reported to law enforcement that incidents occurred while she was attending school at the church. During 2000, the victim described La Rosa-Lopez’ behavior as “grooming behavior” which consisted of kissing and touching. On April 11, 2000, La Rosa allegedly fondled the victim touching her breast with his hands.

ON THE RUN: Dallas priest accused on molesting teens believed to have fled the country

According to the warrant, the female victim believed she was in a romantic relationship with LaRosa-Lopez and recorded incidents in a diary. The victim’s father found the diary and determined the incidents were about LaRosa-Lopez and reported the issues to the church. The result, the warrant states, is LaRosa-Lopez was transferred away from the church and the girl’s family moved from Conroe.

The Archdiocese reported both incidents to Child Protective Services, church officials said.

"We take these matters very seriously, which is why we reported the information we received from both individuals to CPS — and removed Father La Rosa-Lopez from ministry," the Archdiocese statement said. "We are pledged to cooperate with the civil authorities in their investigation. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston recognizes it clearly has both a legal and a moral obligation to address any incidence of abuse — sexual or otherwise — to God's children. Such behavior simply will not be tolerated.

"To anyone affected by any form of abuse by anyone who represents the Church, the Archdiocese deeply regrets such a fundamental violation of trust, and commits itself to eliminating such unacceptable actions."

cdominguez@hcnonline.com