Nine additional counts were added to the case against Rev. Theodore Gabrielli, 61, who now faces 35 counts of child molestation, aggravated sexual assault and sodomy by force.
“The victim called it rape,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Lisa B. Muscari told The Tribune.
The crimes allegedly occurred across California, other states and Mexico, but the DA’s Office only has jurisdiction to prosecute crimes that occurred in California, Muscari said.
Gabrielli was arrested in Los Osos on June 12, 2025, according to SLO County Sheriff’s Office booking records.
Originally facing only five counts, an amended complaint in July charged Gabrielli with an additional nine counts of forced oral copulation with a minor in San Luis Obispo County, two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a minor in San Luis Obispo County, two counts of forced oral copulation with a minor in Los Angeles County, nine counts of forced oral copulation with a minor in Santa Clara County, three counts of forcible lewd acts upon a child in Santa Clara County and one count of forcible lewd acts upon a child in El Dorado County.
A second amended complaint adding nine more counts was filed in August, but was not accept by the court until Thursday for reasons unknown to Muscari. Gabrielli again pleaded not guilty to all 35 counts on Thursday.
Gabrielli now faces additional charges including two counts of aggravated sexual assault and sodomy of a child in San Luis Obispo County, one count of sodomy of a minor by force in El Dorado County, another count of sodomy of a minor by force in Sacramento County and five counts of forcible lewd acts upon a child in San Diego County.
While the legal definition of rape was not met due to the alleged acts involving minors who cannot consent, colloquially, the alleged crimes “could be considered rape,” Muscari said.
Regardless, the alleged crimes are “very serious” and “obviously nonconsensual,” she said.
Priest allegedly assaulted children over two decades
Gabrielli allegedly assaulted all of the victims at varying times between 1991 and 2010 when they were under 14 years old, and a fourth victim when they were 15 years old.
At the time, Gabrielli would’ve been at least 27 years old and as old as 46.
Three of the children were identified as male members of the same family who first met Gabrielli when their family was living in Mexico, The Tribune previously reported.
The family became close with Gabrielli, and he was allowed to take the three boys with him to many places across Mexico and the United States, including his parents’ house in Los Osos — where Gabrielli was accused of sexually assaulting the boys over the course of about eight years.
A fourth victim was from San Jose, California, was also permitted to travel with Gabrielli, Muscari said. Gabrielli previously worked for the Most Holy Trinity Parish in San Jose, Dolores Mission church in Los Angeles, two social ministries in Los Gatos, on the Loyola High School of Los Angeles Board of Directors and most recently at Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Diego.
The trips were not church affiliated, Muscari said. “It’s a tragic situation, because I know there are more victims out there,” she said.
Gabrielli is currently being held in custody without bail, which will be reconsidered by the court at a Jan. 27 hearing.
A preliminary hearing will be held in Department 8 of the SLO County Superior Court on Feb. 26.