Priest charged with child molestation, removed from Downey parish by Archdiocese of L.A.
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A Roman Catholic priest is facing five felony counts of child molestation and was removed from his Downey parish after being arrested by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies, records and officials said.
Father Jaime Arriaga, 41, remains in the Los Angeles County Men’s Central Jail on no bail after pleading not guilty Monday to assault with intent to commit a felony and four felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a person 14 to 15 by a person at least a decade older, according to court records.
“The archdiocese has a long-standing commitment to the protection of minors and reporting the prevention of abuse,’ the Archdiocese said in a statement explaining its officials reported the priest to authorities.
Arriaga, who also goes by Jaime Arriaga Pedroza, was surrendered to deputies on Thursday and arrested on suspicion of assault on a minor to commit a sexual offense. According to the charges, one of the alleged lewd acts occurred Feb. 8 and three on Feb. 9, and the assault with intent to commit a felony upon a minor involved a sexual offense.
L.A. County Sheriff’s Capt. Erick Kim said the charges involve one victim, but Special Victims Unit detectives are seeking additional potential victims.
Clergy sex abuse scandals have rocked Catholic churches across the world, but few places have seen the financial toll of the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
Content retrieved from: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-04-08/priest-charged-felony-child-molestation-downey-parish.
