FARGO (ND)
The Jamestown Sun
February 14, 2018
By Helmut Schmidt
A former Catholic priest accused of sexually abusing children while he worked at churches in Fargo and West Fargo has pleaded not guilty to two Class B felony counts of gross sexual imposition.
Fernando Laude Sayasaya, 53, appearing in orange Cass County Jail garb, said little during the hearing Wednesday, Feb. 14, in Cass County District Court before Judge Steven McCullough.
Each count against Sayasaya has a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, prosecutor Ryan Younggren said after the hearing. Younggren said he could not comment on whether there have been any negotiations for a plea agreement in the case.
In a December hearing, Sayasaya’s bail was set at $5 million cash — a stratospheric amount nearly unheard of in area courtrooms.
Prosecutors had sought a high bail for Sayasaya, saying he posed a flight risk. Sayasaya fled to the Philippines about two decades ago and never returned of his own volition, even though he told investigators at the time that he would return, prosecutors said.
In 2002, Sayasaya was charged in Cass County District Court with the two felony counts of gross sexual imposition.
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