CONROE, Texas – Investigators on Wednesday executed a search warrant at the rehabilitation facility where a Catholic priest accused of abuse at a Conroe church was treated.
Officials believe the facility may hold evidence of the priest's alleged sexual abuse of two teens.
Officials with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office took part in the raid at the Shalom Center on Morgan Drive in Splendora.
The Shalom Center is a treatment facility for priests and others suffering from psychological problems.
"We are gathering records, information, evidence here that might help corroborate obviously the allegation and charges against our priest," said Tyler Dunman, the Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney.
A search warrant obtained by KPRC says Father Manuel La Rosa-Lopez was at the Shalom Center from April 2001 to January 2002. The document said authorities are looking for "patient records, counseling or therapy records, assessments, interviews."
The investigators spent six hours searching for files.
“Obviously, we are going to make sure we turned over every rock,” said Dunman.
La Rosa-Lopez, 60, is facing four counts of indecency with a child after authorities said he abused two children at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Conroe between 1998 and 2001 while he was a priest.
The Galveston-Houston Archdiocese confirmed that La-Rosa Lopez was sent for treatment at the facility after a parent complained back in the early 2000s that the priest was inappropriately touching his teenage daughter.
Court records showed that a man and woman, who have no connection to each other, each accused La Rosa-Lopez of fondling and kissing them. The man said La-Rosa Lopez showed him pictures of partially nude men, according to the records. Both of them were under 17 years old at the time of the abuse, according to the records.
According to the application for the search warrant, investigators are looking for files related to investigations of La Rosa-Lopez or disciplinary actions taken against the priest. Investigators are also looking for files related to his treatment, as well as electronic devices that could contain records, billing and payment information and images of partially naked men or women, according to the application.
Since La Rosa-Lopez’s arrest, investigators searched both the Sacred Heart Catholic Church and St. John the Fisher Catholic Church in Richmond, where La Rosa-Lopez was presiding at the time of his arrest. The search of the Richmond church turned up a file, according to the warrant, that led them to the Shalom Center.
The Galveston-Houston Archdiocese said it reported the girl's case to Child Protective Services when it received the allegations. It also said it reported the young man's allegations of sexual abuse by La-Rosa Lopez to CPS after the man met with Cardinal Dinardo last month.
CPS said the reports would have been referred to police, and the Montgomery County DA’s Office said it can't find the reports.
La Rosa-Lopez's arrest came after the victims filed reports of abuse with the Conroe Police Department, according to authorities.
La Rosa-Lopez turned himself in to authorities last week. He was released from jail on bond.
Dunman said other leads have developed in the case since La Rosa-Lopez’s arrest.
“We’ve received some good info from folks, frankly from across the country, and so we’re following up on those leads to get a good idea of what they have to say,” he said.