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A Catholic priest serving in Downey, California, is facing multiple felony charges related to child sexual abuse, according to an April 10 press release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Jaime Arriaga, 41, was arrested and remains in custody without bail after pleading not guilty on Monday to six felony counts stemming from alleged abuse that took place earlier this year.
Most of the charges relate to alleged incidents from early February 2024, while an additional charge concerns an alleged assault that occurred on March 22. The details of the accusations have not been released publicly to protect the privacy of those involved.
According to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Arriaga began his assignment at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in January 2024 as a transitional deacon. He was ordained as a priest in June. The Archdiocese stated that it became aware of the allegations on April 2 and immediately removed Arriaga from ministry and reported the matter to law enforcement. Arriaga surrendered to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department the following day.
“The Archdiocese has a long-standing commitment to the protection of minors and the reporting and prevention of abuse. Allegations of misconduct against anyone serving in the Archdiocese are reported to law enforcement, fully investigated and, under the Zero-Tolerance Policy, anyone who is found to have harmed a minor is permanently removed from any capacity in the Archdiocese,” officials said in a statement.
This case comes just months after the Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced an $880 million settlement in October 2024 to resolve more than 1,300 sexual abuse claims—one of the largest such settlements in U.S. history. Combined with a 2007 settlement involving 500 claimants, the Archdiocese has now paid nearly $1.5 billion to survivors of clergy abuse.
The Archdiocese is encouraging anyone with information or concerns about Arriaga to contact law enforcement or reach out to its Office of Victims Assistance Ministry.
Contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Bureau at 877-710-LASD (5273). Information can be reported anonymously by phone to the Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800) 222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
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