Politics & Government

Long Beach Priest Charged with Sex Crimes

Priest will be arraigned Wednesday on one count of a lewd act on a child and 8 counts of sexual battery, the court said.

A man who served as a parish priest at a Catholic church in Long Beach is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesdsay on nine sex-related counts.

Luis Jose Cuevas, 67, is charged with one felony count of lewd act on a child and eight misdemeanor counts of sexual battery involving a 17-year-old girl and two women.

The crimes allegedly occurred between July 2010 and February 2012. Cuevas was a parish priest at St. Athanasius Catholic Church for seven years and lived on the Linden Avenue church grounds at the time, according to police.

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Cuevas was charged last week and arrested Monday by the Long Beach Police Department with the assistance of U.S. marshals at a residence in San Jacinto. He was jailed on $1 million bail while awaiting arraignment in Long Beach Superior Court.

The two women initially reported their allegations to the archdiocese and then subsequently filed a police report, with the teenager coming forward during the investigation, according to police.

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Cuevas has been relieved of his duties at the church, according to a statement read during services at St. Athanasius over the weekend. The archdiocese ``took action to remove Father Cuevas from all ministry and he will be living privately pending the outcome of these matters,'' according to the statement.


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