Investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Wednesday asked additional victims to come forward after a Catholic priest was charged with a sexual abuse of a minor.
Fr. Jaime Arriaga-Pedroza was charged with eight felony counts of sexual abuse in Los Angeles County last week after the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station area began investigating a report of a sexual abuse that happened on March 22.
County jail records showed Arriaga-Pedroza was booked for rape. He's being held in custody without bail.
Arriaga-Pedroza, who was removed from ministry at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Downey by the Los Angeles archdiocese last week, also worked at Saint Louis of France Catholic Church in La Puente, the Sheriff’s Department said.
“Based on the nature of the offenses, detectives believe there might be additional victims,” the law enforcement agency said in a statement.
The archdiocese, which reached a $880 million settlement over 1,354 child sexual abuse claims last October, said under its “zero-tolerance policy,” anyone who is “found to have harmed a minor” is permanently removed from his or her job.
“The archdiocese has a long-standing commitment to the protection of minors and the reporting and prevention of abuse, " the archdiocese said in a statement, adding that it reported Arriaga to law enforcement.
The priest eventually surrendered to authorities.
Since being ordained in June 2024, Arriaga had been serving as associate pastor at the church, the archdiocese confirmed.