The Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office said the priest faces charges related to 34 intentional offenses, including crimes against sexual self-determination and integrity, offenses against children and crimes against public morality.
“The data in the case indicate that these crimes were committed, as stated in the indictment, from 2002 until 2025 – 23 years,” said Justas Laucius, chief prosecutor of the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
According to prosecutors, the priest is accused of 13 incidents involving providing alcohol to a child or children, nine incidents involving the exploitation of children for pornography, four cases of sexually abusing people under 16, and three cases of satisfying sexual desires for payment while violating a minor’s sexual freedom.
He is also accused of two incidents of raping a minor and one incident involving the rape of a young child.
“Eleven people have been recognized as victims in this case. At the time of the alleged offenses, they were between 12 and 18 years old,” Laucius told reporters.
The case has been referred to the Vilnius Regional Court.
Prosecutors said most of the alleged offenses occurred in residences belonging to the Roman Catholic Church where the priest lived at the time.
“Not all of the crimes were committed within the territory of the Archdiocese of Vilnius, but most of them were,” Laucius said. “We are talking about six separate locations in Lithuania.”
Lithuania’s Criminal Code provides for a prison sentence of up to 15 years for the most serious sexual offense alleged in the case, prosecutors said.
The priest has been ordered not to leave Lithuania and has surrendered his passport. His rights to dispose of real estate have also been restricted to secure potential civil claims by the alleged victims.
Second priest faces pornography charge
Prosecutors also said another criminal case involving a Catholic priest was referred to the Vilnius City District Court in June. The priest is accused of possessing child pornography.
He has also been ordered not to leave Lithuania. Prosecutors said there are no victims in that case.
“The case concerns pornographic material depicting a child or a person presented as a child,” Laucius said, describing the evidence as visual material.
Laucius said prosecutors had cooperated constructively with the Archdiocese of Vilnius in both cases. Both priests have been removed from their duties and are no longer engaged in public pastoral work, he said.
The Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference said in July that five canonical investigations into possible sexual abuse cases were underway in the country’s dioceses at the end of 2025. Two had been launched in 2025 and three in earlier years.
Laucius said alleged crimes of this nature can take decades to come to light because victims often do not report them.
“There is a high level of latency – nobody complained,” he said, adding that criminological factors may also play a role. “In my opinion, that is one of the main reasons.”
Archdiocese in cooperation with law enforcement
The Archdiocese of Vilnius said Tuesday it was cooperating with law enforcement and conducting canonical investigations.
“The Archdiocese of Vilnius has cooperated responsibly with law enforcement agencies and, out of respect for the judicial process, taking into account the sensitive situation of the victims and seeking to protect their privacy, will continue this cooperation,” it said in a statement.
It also said it had initiated canonical investigations and notified the Holy See about the suspected crimes.
“We have no doubt that the court and the canonical process will answer all questions, and those who have committed crimes will be punished accordingly,” the archdiocese stated.
The priests against whom charges have been brought have been and remain suspended from their duties, it assured.
“Every report of possible inappropriate behaviour toward a child or a vulnerable person is shocking and painful. Behind every such report is, first and foremost, a person – their experiences and pain, and sometimes years of suffering and trauma. It affects not only the victim and their loved ones, but also wounds the entire community,” Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius is quoted in the statement.