NEW YORK (NY)
Daily News
March 5, 2019
By Nanacy Dillon
A Catholic priest in Philadelphia has been charged with raping a teen girl, corrupting her morals and recording her in a sex act, court records and the priest’s lawyer confirm.
The Rev. Armand Garcia, 49, turned himself in for booking early Monday and posted his $250,000 bail hours later, his lawyer William J. Brennan told the Daily News.
The charges relate to offenses dating back to August 2014, court records state.
Brennan said prosecutors filed the corrupting a minor charge as a felony because they claim Garcia had an ongoing relationship with the teen.
“Obviously these are very serious charges, and we will take them seriously, but it is important to remember that Father Garcia is innocent until proven guilty,” Brennan said Tuesday.
The lawyer said the age of consent in Pennsylvania is 16.
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