Priest accused of molestation gets new judge, date

By Hal Conick, hconick@mysuburbanlife.com
St. Charles Republican

St. Charles, IL �Sporting a beard after nearly three weeks in jail, Alejandro Flores received a new judge and court date on accusations of molesting a young St. Charles child over a five-year span.

Flores, 37, of the 600 block of Brook Forest Avenue in Shorewood, has been charged with one count of predatory criminal sexual assault, which could carry up to 30 years in jail; two counts of sexual assault, which could carry up to 15 years in jail; and four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, which each carry up to seven years in jail.

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Flores, a member of the Diocese of Joliet, will appear at 9 a.m. on Feb. 18 in front of Judge Allen M. Anderson in courtroom 311. He was assigned to Anderson on Wednesday morning by Judge Thomas E. Mueller.

In addition to Glen Sowa, a Geneva lawyer, Flores will also be represented by Patricia Magana, a Lisle lawyer.

Authorities allege that between Jan. 1, 2005, and Jan. 1, 2010, Flores had sexual contact with a St. Charles minor, now 13, who is his godson.

Kane County Assistant State�s Attorney Debra Bree said in court Jan. 21 that the victim told the Kane County Child Advocacy Center Jan. 5 that he had been abused by Flores. The boy told authorities Flores had put his hand and mouth on the victim�s genitals in the boy�s house and in Flores� car, prosecutors said. The boy told his mother he had been sexually assaulted by Flores, while the victim�s mother�s boyfriend allegedly witnessed what he believed to be sexual abuse, according to prosecutors.

A warrant for Flores� arrest was issued Jan. 15. Flores, who had attempted suicide by jumping off of the 20-foot balcony of a Joliet church earlier this month, was picked up on that warrant from the hospital by Joliet police and transferred to the custody of the Kane County Sheriff�s Department Jan. 20.

Bree said while Flores was in the hospital, he told a fellow Diocese of Joliet priest about an incident in which he went over to the victim�s family�s house, and was served tequila by the victim�s mother. Flores told the priest he passed out, and woke up in the middle of a sex act with the victim, prosecutors said.

Flores was a seminarian assigned to St. Mary�s Parish in West Chicago. He later was assigned to Holy Family Parish in Shorewood, and ordained a priest last summer.

Flores, a native of Bolivia, has his bail set at $1 million. He is being held in the Kane County Jail and has already surrendered his passport to authorities. If he bonds out, he is prohibited from having contact with the victim, the victim�s family and anyone younger than 17.

If convicted, Flores faces up to 67 years in jail.

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