NASHVILLE (TN)
Yahoo! [Sunnyvale CA]
July 15, 2025
By Gabrielle Chenault, Nashville Tennessean
This story contains allegations of sexual abuse including sexual abuse against children. The Sexual Assault Center provides free counseling, advocate services and forensic exams at their SAFE Clinic for anyone age 16 and older. Our Kids provides services to children from ages 1 – 16. To reach the 24/7 crisis line, please call the Sexual Assault Center at 1-800-879-1999 or contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
A former Franklin priest accused of sexual misconduct against minors has pleaded guilty to eight charges in Williamson County Court and has been sentenced to seven years in state prison.
Juan Carlos Garcia-Mendoza, 32, was in court July 14 and admitted to four counts of sexual battery by an authority figure, two counts of sexual battery, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child and one count of aggravated sexual battery.
Garcia-Mendoza, first ordained in 2020 at St. Rose of Lima in Murfreesboro and assigned to St. Phillip in July 2022, was reported to the Diocese of Nashville Safe Environment Office by St. Philip officials in November 2023. Records show a teen at the parish had made a report of improper touching involving Garcia-Mendoza. He was then immediately removed from public ministry.
“The Diocese of Nashville Review Board was promptly convened to evaluate information available from the investigation and to advise the bishop,” a statement released to the public said at that time. “Further, the investigative report and all available information were provided to the Franklin Police Department on the diocese’s own initiative.”
The Diocese also issued a new statement after Garcia-Mendoza’s sentencing.
“Throughout the process, the Diocese has stated it is fully cooperating with civil authorities and continues to offer victim assistance to those affected by abuse within the church’s ministries,” the statement said. “Individuals with relevant information have been urged to contact the Franklin Police Department.”
During an April 11 court appearance to determine if charges against Garcia-Mendoza concerning adults and children should be separate, detectives said the former priest’s church twice spoke with him about his behavior before he was removed from the ministry.
Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Mason said the priest would often behave as if the touching was an accident and that was “how he was able to get away with it for so long.”
A 39-year-old said on the stand that he first believed Garcia-Mendoza when he said it was an accident.
Then it happened again, he testified.
“I knew then that it wasn’t normal,” a translator said on behalf of the man, who testified in Spanish.
The Franklin Police Department said there were others who alleged improper conduct against the priest, but they were not incorporated into the case due a statute of limitations expiration or a jurisdictional issue, meaning the alleged crime happened outside their coverage area.Advertisementhttps://af2089e44b126d306dd0fc8c65c5de7a.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html
In addition to the seven-year prison sentence, Garcia-Mendoza will also be listed on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry.
This story was updated to add a video.