HOUSTON — There is more fallout from the new allegations of sexual abuse by a former local priest.
Victims’ advocates are reacting, as Manuel LaRosa-Lopez prepares to face a judge next week on charges he abused two teens, decades ago.
Advocates say they’re not surprised more accusers have come forward and they believe there are more victims out there.
Michael Norris is head of “Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests,” or SNAP. He says he has spoken to all three accusers, and they share the same motivation for filing police reports.
“All three of them have said the reason why they came forward is because they were afraid this man was still abusing children," Norris says, adding he understands why it took decades for the accusers to come forward.
"You’re a child. This person is doing this to you. You don’t understand what they’re doing." he says. "As well as, this person is an extension of God, doing this to you and it has spiritual impacts. It’s very deep.”
The attorney for the third accuser said Thursday his client was sexually abused by Manuel LaRosa Lopez as a teenage alter-boy in Houston from 1993 to 1994. At the time, LaRosa-Lopez had not yet been ordained and was studying to be a priest.
Lawyer Adam Dinnell says his client reported the abuse back then, along with his family members.
“At that time, they raised the issue as a group - my client and the guardians and the local parish - and had a sit-down discussion,” Dinnell says. Nothing came of the discussion, according to Dinnell.
Next Tuesday, LaRosa-Lopez will be back in court. He is expected to plead “not guilty” on charges he sexually abused two teen parishioners in Conroe after he became a priest in the early 2000s.
Investigators say one of accusers had reported the abuse at the time, and the priest was sent to get psychiatric help at a facility, specifically for clergy members.
Authorities say the priest was then transferred to a different church in Fort Bend County.
The Archdiocese won’t comment on the case, other than to say it’s cooperating fully with civil authorities in their investigation.
“If the Catholic Church was truly cooperating with police, they would’ve released all these files of this person, but they haven’t done that yet," Norris says. "What else do we not know about and what other predator priests are out there right now, that we don’t know about?”
Prosecutors say they’re investigating the new allegations. LaRosa-Lopez has not yet been charged in connection with them. His lawyer, Wendell Odom, tells KHOU he does not know anything about the allegations or who is making them.