N.J. Priest Charged with Sexual Contact against Woman, Her Child

Nj.com
July 17, 2012

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/07/nj_priest_charged_with_sexual.html

A street view of the Church of the Visitation in Brick. The church's priest has been charged with sexual contact.

BRICK — Authorities have accused an Ocean County priest of charges of sexual contact with a woman and her child.

The Rev. Marukudiyil Velan has been a priest at the Church of the Visitation in Brick since 2001. He's known in the parish as "Father Chris" and a garden at the church is named after him.

The 64-year-old is held in the Ocean County Jail on $75,000 bail. It's not known whether the priest has a lawyer.

Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford told the Asbury Park Press the woman and her child were parishioners and the alleged assault took place at their home.