Rockford priest arrested on child sex charges

ILLINOIS
Rockford Register Star

By Chris Green
Staff writer

Posted Feb. 11, 2016

ROCKFORD — A priest residing in Rockford was arrested on child sex charges today at his home.

The Rev. Alfredo Pedraza, 50, was charged in Kane County with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 13. He is being held in the Kane County Jail on $50,000 bond.

The Rockford Diocese issued a news release today stating they were informed by the Kane County Sheriff and the U.S. Marshall’s Office that the Rev. Alfredo Pedraza was arrested at his residence in Rockford.

According to the release, Pedraza had been under investigation for two allegations reported to authorities and the Diocese of Rockford in 2014. Immediately after the first allegation was reported, Pedraza was asked to remove himself from all priestly ministry and from all Hispanic Ministry duties in the DeKalb County Deanery to which he was assigned at the time of the first allegation. He has been out of the ministry since Oct. 30, 2014, the release said.

Pedraza came to the Rockford Diocese in 2013 from Colombia, South America. During his time with the Rockford Diocese, he worked in Hispanic Ministry in the DeKalb Deanery and assisted at Sacred Heart Parish in Aurora and Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Aurora.

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