He should be locked up for life.
In recent developments, a Catholic clergyman from Tennessee finds himself entangled in a serious legal ordeal, facing indictments for alleged inappropriate behavior involving a minor. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, made public a statement on Friday, revealing that Rev. Juan Carlos Garcia, formerly serving as an associate pastor at St. Philip Catholic Church in Franklin, has been charged by a grand jury with multiple offenses related to sexual abuse and battery.
The charges against Garcia encompass one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child, one count of aggravated sexual battery, four counts of sexual battery by an authority figure, and two counts of sexual battery. Ordained as a priest in 2020, Garcia commenced his tenure at St. Philip in July 2022 after spending two years at St. Rose of Lima Church in Murfreesboro. The Diocese of Nashville was alerted to the allegations against Garcia in early November, subsequent to reports from parish officials at St. Philip regarding accusations of inappropriate touching made by a teenager attending the church.
Following this revelation, both the diocese and representatives from St. Philip promptly reported the matter to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, leading to Garcia’s removal from his position once the Franklin Police Department initiated an investigation into the allegations. Garcia is presently detained with a bond set at $2 million.
In Tennessee, aggravated sexual battery constitutes a Class B felony, sexual battery by an authority figure is classified as a Class C felony, and sexual battery falls under a Class E felony. Penalties for these offenses vary, with Class B felonies carrying sentences of eight to 30 years, Class C felonies carrying three to 15 years, and Class E felonies carrying one to six years of imprisonment.
The severity of punishment for continuous sexual abuse of a child depends on the number of offenses committed, potentially ranging from a Class C felony to a Class A felony, which can result in prison terms ranging from 15 to 60 years.
The case involving Garcia came to public attention last month when the diocese announced his removal from his post at St. Philip and suspension from public ministry pending the outcome of the police investigation. Additionally, the diocese disclosed its retention of a former FBI agent to conduct an independent investigation into the matter, with plans to forward the case to the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office for further examination.
This incident adds to the list of allegations of abuse within the Diocese of Nashville, where multiple priests and brothers have been accused of misconduct involving minors, as documented by the Diocese of Nashville’s Safe Environment Office.