Italian Catholic priest arrested over pedophilia charges
A Catholic priest in northern Italy has been busted on charges of sexually abusing young boys in his parish, the local archbishop said.
Police arrested Father Massimo Luculano on Friday on charges of soliciting sex from minors and sexual assault.
His three confirmed victims are a 14-year old Italian boy and two 17-year old foreign boys.
However, Luculano, based in Vercelli, a town to the west of Milan, had forged a dense set of relationships with different people and older minors for sexual purposes, police say.
Luculano, claiming to be a physical therapist alongside being a priest, lured the young victims using Facebook, WhatsApp or text messages and offering them gift phone cards, soccer shoes and even money in return, investigators say.
Vercelli Archbishop Marco Arnolfo said in a statement that Luculano had been “immediately” suspended and offered “affection and prayers to the families that may be implicated” in the affair.
Over the past few years, the Roman Catholic Church has been facing numerous scandals of child sexual abuse by priests all over the globe.
The Pope has promised a zero tolerance policy for child sex abuse by clerics. However, rights groups representing victims believe that not enough has been done.
Around 850 priests accused of sexual abuse of minors were defrocked between 2004 and 2013, according to the Vatican.
RS/AS/MHB
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