Dual Investigations Underway Against St. Landry Parish Priest
Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel, titular head of the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette, spoke to local media this afternoon addressing allegations of sexual abuse of a minor against a priest in St. Landry Parish.
Deshotel read verbatim the statement released by the diocese at the 1 p.m. press conference. He subsequently, took questions from reporters.
He offered no details in regards to the incident(s) that led to sexual abuse allegations against 75-year-old Rev. Michael Guidry. Deshotel said details are being withheld pending independent investigations by the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office and the Diocese of Lafayette. Guidry--the pastor of St. Peter Church in Morrow and Resurrection Chapel in Whiteville--has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcomes of those investigations.
Deshotel said the alleged victim was a minor at the time of the reported offenses, but is now an adult.
The bishop said he would release any further information, if and when, more details come available at the conclusion of both the diocesan and civil investigations.