Catholic priest in Downey charged with multiple counts of child sexual abuse

DOWNEY, Calif. - Are you or someone you know a recent survivor of sexual assault? Help is available. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) provides a 24/7 national sexual assault hotline, which can be reached at 1-800-656-4673

A Downey Catholic priest accused of sexual misconduct with a minor is behind bars, charged with eight felony counts of sexual abuse, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. 

Catholic priest hit with multiple charges

What we know:

Jaime Arriaga Pedroza, 41, was arraigned April 7, pleading not guilty. He remains in custody with no bail, according to jail records. 

An investigation by detectives with LASD's Special Victims Bureau on April 3 revealed the reported sexual abuse happened on Saturday, March 22, and involved a young girl. He surrendered to the authorities the same day.

Pedroza was a Catholic priest assigned to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church since July 2024 and Saint Louis of France Catholic Church in La Puente.

A statement issued by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on Monday said it received the report of Pedroza's alleged misconduct on April 2. Pedroza has since been removed from the ministry and the archdiocese are cooperating.

What we don't know:

It is unclear how many possible victims there are in connection with the case. 

What they're saying:

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles released the following statement in response:

"The Archdiocese has a long-standing commitment to the protection of minors and the reporting and prevention of abuse. Allegations of misconduct against anyone serving in the Archdiocese are reported to law enforcement, fully investigated and, under the Zero-Tolerance Policy, anyone who is found to have harmed a minor is permanently removed from any capacity in the Archdiocese."

Officials ask additional victims to come forward

What you can do:

Based on the nature of the offenses, detectives believe there might be additional victims.

Anyone with information about this crime is requested to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department - Special Victims Bureau - at (877) 710-LASD (5273) or Sergeant Joseph Cerda at (213) 264-8732.  If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call "Crime Stoppers" by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website lacrimestoppers.org

What's next:

Pedroza is being held without bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 5.

If convicted as charged, Pedroza faces a possible maximum sentence of 14 years in state prison and would be required to register as a sex offender for life.