Prosecutor: Ohio Altar Girl In Relationship With Priest Pregnant
ATHENS, Ohio (AP) - Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding a Roman Catholic priest taking a now-pregnant altar girl to a wedding reception last year and whether the diocese responded appropriately when officials learned about the outing.
The Rev. Henry Christopher Foxhoven was charged this week with sexual battery after informing the Steubenville diocesan bishop about his relationship with the 17-year-old.
The Athens County prosecutor says the 45-year-old priest and the teen told her parents Oct. 26 she was two months pregnant. Foxhoven told the bishop the next day.
The diocese contacted authorities Saturday, something it didn't do in November when they learned about the wedding reception. Foxhoven received a one-week suspension and was ordered into counseling then.
A diocese spokesman says Foxhoven denied acting inappropriately last November. Court records don't list an attorney.
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