NAMPA (ID)
KIVI [Nampa, Idaho]
April 29, 2026
By Victoria Rodriguez
A Nampa priest has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual battery of a minor.
Robert Mendez Esquivel, a former priest at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Nampa and known as “Father Toto,” was arrested in August. He was originally charged with rape and two counts of sexual battery of a minor, but in January pleaded guilty to one count of sexual battery of a minor. The other charges were dropped.
WATCH: Inside the courtroom as a former Nampa priest was sentenced
Investigators said the two met at a Nampa park where a sexual act occurred. Police said the victim was not connected to St. Paul’s Catholic Church or its school, where Mendez had served as a priest beginning in 2022.
According to Nampa Police, Esquivel met the 16-year-old victim through the dating app Grindr.
Prosecutors pushed for 20 years in prison, arguing his intentions were deliberate and emphasizing that Idaho law is meant to protect minors.
“At the end of the day, Idaho law protects the 16-year-old from the 45-year-old,” a prosecutor said.
Esquivel’s attorney said he has acknowledged his wrongdoings and has started a Bible study for inmates while in the Canyon County Jail, while also pointing to the strong community support he has received.
READ MORE | Trial delayed for Nampa priest accused of raping a teenager
“He baptized children, married people, heard confessions, guided teenagers away from sin and, and he did it all with a smile on his face and, and love in his heart,” Esquivel’s attorney said.
His attorney also addressed the likelihood of deportation following the sentencing.
“It is beyond a shadow of a doubt that, that he is going to be deported, that with this specific crime, there would be absolutely no way that he would stay in the United States,” Esquivel’s attorney said.
As Esquivel addressed the court, many in the gallery became emotional.
“I am ready, Your Honor, to have the treatment that you consider the best for me. In order to never again cause so much pain in anyone,” Esquivel said.
The judge described Esquivel’s behavior as opportunistic rather than predatory.
Esquivel was sentenced to three years fixed, followed by 12 years indeterminate. He must have no contact with the victim or minors without parental consent.
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