Former Priest to Be Arraigned on Molestation Charges, KTLA, July 25, 2007

Former Priest to Be Arraigned on Molestation Charges

KTLA
July 25, 2007

http://ktla.trb.com/news/ktla-priestsex,0,6360103.story?coll=ktla-news-2

A former Catholic priest is scheduled to be arraigned Wedsneday morning on charges of molesting a boy while he was assigned to a Pacoima church.

George Miller, 69, of Oxnard, is charged with three felony counts of lewd acts on a child and three counts of sodomy of a person under 14. He was arrested Tuesday, and is being held on $600,000 bail.

Former Priest To Be Arraigned On Molestation Charges

The alleged molestation took place between March 1988 and March 1991, while Miller was serving at Guardian Angel Church in Pacoima, prosecutors said.

According to the District Attorney's Office, Miller met the victim when the boy was 5 years old. Miller befriended the victim's mother and became a frequent guest at the family's home, eventually taking the victim on overnight trips, prosecutors said.

"As promised, investigations are ongoing into alleged sexual abuse of minors by priests," District Attorney Steve Cooley said. "As evidence is developed to sustain criminal filings, we will do so."

Miller is facing up to 18 years in prison if convicted of all charges.

"We applaud this brave victim for being strong enough to disclose the crime and cooperate with the police," said Barbara Dorris, outreach director for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "We hope his courage inspires others to speak up, get help and call law enforcement."

In 2002, Miller was arrested and charged with molesting three boys -- including the current victim's older brother -- in the 1970s and 1980s while assigned to the Pacoima church. That case was dropped, however, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a California law extending the statute of limitations on sex crimes was unconstitutional.