ST. LOUIS (MO)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
By Jesse Bogan jbogan@post-dispatch.com 314-340-825512
ST. LOUIS • Criminal charges filed against a St. Louis priest over allegations that he molested a teenage girl have been dropped, officials said Friday.
The Rev. Xiu Hiu “Joseph” Jiang, 30, was charged in 2012 with child endangerment and witness tampering.
Circuit Judge Chris Kunza Mennemeyer, of Lincoln and Pike counties, put in an order to dismiss the child endangerment charge Nov. 18 based on an argument by the defense that Jiang was never alone with the alleged victim.
Prosecutor Leah Askey filed for dismissal on the witness tampering charge — Jiang had allegedly left a $20,000 check for the family for hush money — on the same day.
A trial date had been set in Pike County and then recently cancelled.
Pike County Clerk Jerri Harrelson said Friday that the case was officially dismissed from the court record Thursday.
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