A Catholic priest in Palm Beach County was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison on Monday for soliciting sex from what he thought was a 14-year-old boy he had met over the Internet.The 14-year-old was in fact an undercover police officer.
"On my part, it was more of a curiosity than anything of a sexual act," Guimaraes said, before finally retracting the statement and admitting that he and the "boy" arranged to meet in Delray Beach and "we did mention if it was agreed between the two of us we may have sexual relations." The priest said the two discussed plans to "touch each other and perhaps masturbate and perhaps also oral sex
A Catholic priest asked fellow Catholics and the community for forgiveness Friday as he pleaded guilty to fondling a 5-year-old Rock Hill girl in her living room 2 1/2 years ago.York County Circuit Court Judge John Hayes sentenced Father Juan Castano, 44, to two years in prison and two years probation on the charge of lewd act upon a minor under the age of 16.
Castano remains suspended from ministry and could possibly be defrocked, a Diocese of Charleston spokeswoman said. Castano's lawyer, public defender Harry Dest, said his client also may be deported back to his home country of Colombia due to the nature of the guilty plea.