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Prosecutor: Priest Charged with Raping Boy 20 Years Ago
By: Associated Press
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CINCINNATI (AP) – A prosecutor says a priest in Ohio has been charged with nine rape counts involving a male elementary school student about 20 years ago.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters says the Rev. Geoffrey Drew was indicted Monday in Cincinnati. Deters says the alleged crimes occurred between 1988 and 1991 while Drew was music director at St. Jude Parish in suburban Cincinnati. He wasn’t ordained a priest until 2004.
Deters said the now-41-year-old accuser says he was 10 and 11 when the alleged crimes occurred.
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati placed Drew on leave as pastor of St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish in suburban Cincinnati last month after allegations of inappropriate text messages to a boy. The archdiocese says it’s cooperating with investigators.
Court records don’t show an attorney for Drew.