SerpApi.Org
A Catholic priest was arrested in Wichita on Wednesday and accused of child sex crimes, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
A 44-year-old man who previously served as a priest in the Diocese of Salina was arrested just after 5 p.m. Wednesday at a home in the 2100 block of South Erie, near Mount Vernon and Hillside, the bureau said in a news release.
The arrest, the bureau said in the release, stems from allegations that the priest sexually abused a 6-year-old child in Belleville in 2025. A KBI spokesman said in an email Wednesday that the priest had not yet been formally charged. The Eagle typically does not identify people who are arrested unless they are charged with a crime.
According to an online Sedgwick County Jail roster, the man named in the bureau news release was detained at the jail Wednesday night on an agency hold.
An arrest warrant specified three different counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, the news release said.
In September, the Republic County Sheriff’s Office asked for the bureau’s assistance in investigating the case.
The Diocese of Salina suspended the priest from ministry when it was made aware of the alleged crimes, according to the news release.
“We are extremely sorry for any pain and suffering that has taken place for any victim of sexual abuse,” the diocese said in a statement, adding that the allegations “were reported to both civil and ecclesiastical authorities.”
The diocese is fully cooperating with the investigation, its news release said, and the priest will remain removed from ministry unless he is fully cleared of the allegations.
The priest had served as pastor at three parishes in Republic County: St. Edward Parish in Belleville, St. George Parish in Munden and St. Isidore Parish in Cuba, the diocese release said.
He also had served previously at these parishes: Immaculate Heart of Mary, Hays; St. Joseph Parish, Hays; Seven Dolors Parish, Manhattan; St. Isidore Catholic Student Center, Manhattan; St. Theresa Parish, Mankato; Sacred Heart Parish, Esbon; Comeau Campus Center, Hays; Thomas More Prep-Marian, Hays; Manhattan Catholic Schools, Manhattan.
The diocese asked people who may have information to contact the KBI at 1-800-572-7463. It said anyone wanting to make a confidential report to the diocese, could contact the victim assistance coordinator at 866-752-8855 or [email protected].
“The Diocese remains steadfast in its commitment to the protection of children, the safety of our communities, and the pastoral care of survivors,” the news release said. “We are devastated for all involved and ask for your prayers during this difficult time.”
