A Catholic priest in North Carolina has been removed from his duties and is facing felony charges after deputies say he allegedly arranged to meet a prostitute at his own church in the early hours of the morning.
Clemente Olvera Guerrero, 47, of Smithfield, was arrested Monday and charged with one felony count of soliciting prostitution, according to the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the alleged crime occurred on the grounds of Saint Ann Catholic Church in Clayton, where Olvera Guerrero served as a priest.
Just before 1 a.m. on Monday, deputies noticed a suspicious vehicle parked at the church and found a 20-year-old male sex worker on the property.
The sex worker told deputies he had been contacted through an app by Olvera Guerrero, who invited him to the church. The sheriff’s office said the two “had been engaged in intercourse.”
Both Brinson and the sex worker were taken into custody on the property. Brinson was charged with misdemeanor prostitution and held on a $10,000 secured bond.
The Diocese of Raleigh notified parishioners of Saint Ann about Olvera Guerrero’s arrest in a letter sent out on Monday.
“The diocese received notice this morning of the arrest of Fr. Clemente Olvera Guerrero on criminal charges connected to alleged inappropriate behavior with an adult,” the letter reads. “Upon receiving that information, he was immediately removed from ministry in the Diocese of Raleigh.
“While Fr. Clemente deserves a full presumption of innocence until proven otherwise, his priestly duties in the Diocese of Raleigh have been revoked and he will be returned to his religious order while this matter is further investigated by legal and canonical authorities.”
