ST. LOUIS (MO)
CBS St. Louis
ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – Father Joseph Jiang, an associate priest at the Cathedral Basilica who was previously accused of sexual misconduct, was arrested again Thursday night.
Police are seeking five counts of having sex with a minor.
According to a statement posted on the website for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, the allegation against Jiang “was reported through the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline by a family who over the past year has been pursuing a claim against the archdiocese related to their child being bullied by other students.” Until this week, the statement notes, the family had never claimed their child was abused by a priest.
Jiang voluntarily surrendered yesterday, and his canonical privileges have been suspended while the police decide whether to bring charges against him.
In 2012, Jiang was accused of molesting a teenage girl and witness tampering, when authorities alleged he wrote a $20,000 check to the family as hush money. In 2013, charges were then dropped.
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