New allegations have surfaced against a Conroe priest at the center of a possible sex abuse scandal.
According to new court records, Father Manuel La Rosa Lopez allegedly propositioned another priest in a Galveston County hotel and suggested a trade of sexual favors in exchange for the priest to be assigned to a larger parish.
La Rosa Lopez allegedly invited the priest to his hotel room in May 2018 to discuss the proposition. Court records state when the priest declined, La Rosa Lopez allegedly told him he “should be proud” of performing such favors on “an episcopal vicar.”
The new court records also reveal an additional allegation in which La Rosa Lopez is accused of groping and raping a woman several times in 2005 while she was working at St. Theresa’s church in Fort Bend County.
La Rosa Lopez was indicted for indecency with a child by exposure in June. He faces his fifth charge in the allegations that he sexually abused children in the 1990s to early 2000s.
The lawsuit, which was filed against the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston priest back in April, revealed disturbing details in one of the cases.
According to the lawsuit, La Rosa Lopez allegedly exposed himself to a then-15-year-old during confession.
In the lawsuit, the victim, whose identity has not been released, states he confessed his homosexuality to La Rosa Lopez in the summer of 2000. During confession, the victim said La Rosa Lopez asked him very descriptive and vulgar questions.
According to the lawsuit, in the midst of confession, La Rosa Lopez allegedly “proceeded to open the partition window in the confessional booth and exposed (himself).”
The lawsuit states the victim began seeing a therapist in the summer of 2017, where he spoke about his encounter with La Rosa Lopez.
