Priest accused of sexual harassment of underage boys arrested

The complaint was registered for offenses under Sections 8 (sexual assault) and 9 (aggravated sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act and Section 75(2) (sexual harassment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, 2023. | Photo credit: Illustration for representation

The Mangaluru police arrested Sipriano Pinto, a priest at St. Vincent Ferrer in Valencia, Mangaluru, for allegedly aggravated sexual assault of five 14-year-old boys.

Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said Pinto was arrested at his relatives’ house.

The police will bring him to court after questioning and completing other actions.

In a complaint to the Mangaluru South police on the night of October 15, one of the victims, a 14-year-old boy, alleged that Pinto gave him chocolate and said he loved the boy’s smiles.

He then took the boy to a room in the church and touched him inappropriately.

Follow-up visits

During his subsequent visits to the church for prayers, the boy claimed Pinto touched him inappropriately.

On the evening of August 14, Pinto called the victim into the reception room, hugged him and put his hands in the boy’s underwear.

Also Read: Priest found guilty of abusing minor girl under the guise of rituals

The victim then told her four friends, all aged 14, about Pinto’s behaviour. His friends said they too had experienced the same thing.

The victim said he informed his parents about the sexual harassment and they all went to see the Bishop of Mangaluru. They filed a complaint on his instructions.

Published – 18 Oct 2026 17:32 IST