RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) - A defrocked Roman Catholic priest, who fled to South America to avoid arrest, has been arraigned on charges he sexually abused a female juvenile on Long Island
The Suffolk County district attorney’s office says Augusto Cortez pleaded not guilty Monday to sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. Information on his lawyer wasn’t immediately available.
Authorities say the alleged incidents occurred in June 2014. He was indicted by a grand jury and was arrested on April 22 when he was returned to the U.S. from Guatemala.
The 53-year-old Cortez is a registered sex offender. In 2009, Cortez was convicted of forcible touching involving a 12-year-old girl.
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