Churchgoers testify then-Franklin priest pretended inappropriate touching was accidental
This story contains allegations of sexual abuse including sexual abuse against children. The Sexual Assault Center provides free counseling, advocate services and forensic exams at their SAFE Clinic for anyone. To reach the 24/7 crisis line, please call the Sexual Assault Center at 1-800-879-1999 or contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
A detective, two churchgoers and a seminary student testified against a Franklin priest accused of sexual battery at a packed court hearing on April 11.
The detective stated the former priest's church twice spoke with him about his behavior before he was removed from the ministry.
Juan Carlos Garcia-Mendoza, a former associate pastor at St. Philip Catholic Church, was indicted in June on one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child, one count of aggravated sexual battery, four counts of sexual battery by an authority figure, and four counts of sexual battery.
Prosecutors say there are four minor victims and three adult victims in the case, all of whom are male.
The incidents testified to in court by the adults and the detective each followed a similar pattern. They said Garcia-Mendoza would act in his official capacity as a priest, touch their penis over the pants with his hand, act like it was an accident and apologize.
Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Mason said behaving like it was an accident was "how he was able to get away with it for so long.'
A 39-year-old said he first believed Garcia-Mendoza when he said it was an accident. Then it happened again, he tesfified.
'I knew then that it wasn't normal," a translator said on behalf of the man, who testified in Spanish.
Franklin Police Department Det. Andrea Clark testified the four children Garcia-Mendoza is accused of groping were altar servers at St. Philip Catholic Church.
Clark said she learned church leaders had twice spoken to him about his "inappropriate touching" of men when examining his employment file. Clark said one warning from the church came after Garcia-Mendoza allegedly inappropriately touched a sick patient while visiting him at a Rutherford County hospital.
Church officials reported the allegations to the Diocese of Nashville Safe Environment Office and the Tennessee Department of Children's Services in November 2023. The church also hired an outside investigator, a former FBI agent, to investigate the allegations.
The Diocese of Nashville the took action immediately after receiving a report that met the requirements in its Safe Environment Program, Rick Musacchio, executive director at the Tennessee Catholic Conference, said. Garcia-Mendoza was removed from the ministry in November 2023, and the case was turned over to civil authorities, Musacchio said.
Clark said she identified other people during her investigation who said they were inappropriately touched by Garcia-Mendoza, but she was unable to get charges in those cases because they were outside of Williamson County or barred by the statute of limitations.
The hearing on April 11 was to determine how Garcia-Mendoza, 32, will be tried on the charges. His defense attorney Brent Horst argued the charges involving children should be tried separately from the charges involving adults. Judge Deanna B. Johnson, who called the testimony to inform her decision, has not yet ruled.
Garcia-Mendoza is scheduled to go to trial Aug. 11.
Garcia-Mendoza appeared in the Williamson County Courthouse, along with his attorney, wearing an orange jumpsuit. He remains in jail on a $2 million bond. All eight rows in Johnson's courtroom were full throughout the hearing.
Have questions about the justice system? Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him with questions, tips or story ideas at emealins@tennessean.com.
Come meet me and the rest of The Tennessean's Metro team at Crieve Hall Bagel Co. on Wednesday, April 16, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Witnesses testify about accusations against ex-Franklin priest
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
SEIU leader charged with 'conspiracy to impede an officer' for protesting ICE raid
California labor leader David Huerta, 58, was released from federal custody on Monday on a $50,000 bond after being charged with "conspiracy to impede an officer." Huerta, the president of Service Employees International Union California (SEIU), was arrested during an anti-ICE protest in Los Angeles on Friday. Huerta was photographed wearing socks and carrying shoes following his release from custody. He told reporters he did not intend to get arrested, and the only way to win change is through nonviolence. "This fight is ours, it's our community's, but it belongs to everyone," Huerta said in Spanish, according to the Associated Press. "We all have to fight for them." Fbi Will Investigate 'Any Evidence Of A Criminal Conspiracy' In La Riots Huerta was arrested while law enforcement officers were executing a federal search warrant at a Los Angeles business suspected of hiring illegal immigrants and falsifying employment papers, a special agent for Homeland Security Investigations, which is part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, wrote in a federal court filing obtained by the AP. Read On The Fox News App SEIU represents 750,000 members in 17 local unions across 58 counties, according to its website. Among the members are "nurses, healthcare workers, janitors, social workers, security officers, in-home caregivers, school and university employees, court workers, and city, county and state employees." Fbi Searching For Suspect Who Allegedly Assaulted Federal Officer During Anti-ice Riots In Los Angeles While SEIU International President April Verrett said on Monday that the labor union is "relieved" that Huerta is free, she added his arrest only drew attention to a larger issue. "Thousands of workers remain unjustly detained and separated from their families. At this very moment, immigrant communities are being terrorized by heavily militarized armed forces. The Trump regime calling in the National Guard is a dangerous escalation to target people who disagree with them. It is a threat to our democracy. The federal government should never be used as a weapon against people who disagree with them," she said in a statement. "America is a nation of immigrants. Immigrant workers are essential to our society: feeding our nation, caring for our elders, cleaning our workplaces, and building our homes," Verrett added. "Immigrants are scientists, they are teachers and professors. They are our co-workers, neighbors and family members. They deserve our respect and they need their constitutional rights respected." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: SEIU leader charged with 'conspiracy to impede an officer' for protesting ICE raid
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Father of missing Bronx boy, 2, held at Rikers Island: sources
THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — The 20-year-old father of a missing 2-year-old Bronx boy is being held at Rikers Island after allegedly telling the child's mother the boy is in the Bronx River, according to law enforcement sources. NYPD dive teams were searching for the boy in the river near the Bruckner Expressway Monday night, but didn't find him. They're expected to search the river again on Tuesday. The boy was last seen by his mom at 827 Hunts Point in the Bronx at around 10 p.m. on May 10, police said. The boy was wearing a white shirt and a diaper. The dad took the child, Montrell Williams, to see his paternal grandmother for Mother's Day in Hunts Point. The father then stormed out of the home with Montrell following an argument, sources said. He never returned the boy to his 17-year-old mother. They share custody of the child. The teen told police she gave Montrell to his dad on May 10, but she has not seen the boy since, sources said. He was supposed to bring him back on May 30. When she saw him without the boy, the dad allegedly told her he threw him in the river, sources said. The father did not tell police that. After refusing to speak with detectives, the father was taken to family court Monday in the Bronx for custodial interference. A judge remanded him to Rikers Island. Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She has been with PIX11 News for two years. See more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Body found in water near Ellis Island: NYPD
NEW YORK (PIX11) — A body was found in the water near Ellis Island Tuesday morning, police said. The unidentified male was found unconscious in the upper bay near Ellis Island just before 9 a.m., according to the NYPD. More Local News The man was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The cause of death was unclear. No other information was immediately available. The investigation is ongoing. Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She has been with PIX11 News for two years. See more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
