COLORADO
9 News

[with video]

CARBONDALE – The Archdiocese of Denver continues to defend a priest accused of sexual assault while admitting he made “a mistake” during an encounter with a woman.

The woman, named “Jane Doe” in a lawsuit, accuses Father Jose Saenz of taking advantage of her while she was drunk and depressed over the death of a friend.

The lawsuit alleges the sexual assault occurred at the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs in 2011.

“He manipulated the situation by telling her he needed to pray over her naked body,” said the woman’s attorney, Jeff Herman. “He would put holy water on her forehead and eventually manipulated a situation where he began to have sex with her.”

The lawsuit alleges the woman was trying to seek help from the priest.

In a written statement sent out on July 3, the Archdiocese of Denver defended Father Saenz, saying…