LASD Looking for Additional Victims of Priest Accused of Sex Abuse
Investigators are asking the public for help finding any additional victims of a priest that was arrested for the sexual abuse of a child. Reverand Jaime Arriaga-Pedroza (41) was arrested on Thursday, April 3, 2025, just one day after the Archdiocese of Los Angeles received a report of alleged sexual misconduct involving a minor.
The Church made the following statement:
“The Archdiocese has a long-standing commitment to the protection of minors and the reporting and prevention of abuse. Allegations of misconduct against anyone serving in the Archdiocese are reported to law enforcement, fully investigated and, under Zero-Tolerance Policy, anyone who is found to have harmed a minor is permanently removed from any capacity in the Archdiocese.”
Arriaga-Pedroza was ordained in June 2023 and served at two churches – Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Downey and Saint Louis of France Catholic Church in La Puente. He is accused of the sexual abuse of a girl on March 22, 2025, according to the LA County Sheriff’s Department. The girl’s age has not been disclosed.
He faces eight felony counts related to sexual abuse, and detectives believe that there may be additional victims that have not come forward. They are urging anyone with information to call the LASD Special Victims Bureau directly or to provide information anonymously via their tip line.
According to jail records, Arriaga-Pedroza is being held without bail and has a court date for June 5, 2025.
Unfortunately, sexual abuse of children at the hands of priests, reverends, and other individuals in positions of authority is very common. These individuals take advantage of their positions and the trust that the community puts in them to harm children. If you or your child were sexually abused by Rev. Jaime Arriaga-Pedroza, please do not hesitate to reach out to our legal team as soon as possible. You could have the right to file a lawsuit against the Archdiocese.
Here at the Downtown L.A. Law Group, we have decades of experience fighting for the rights of survivors of child sex abuse. We are not afraid to take on negligent parties and entities to ensure that survivors and their families get justice. If you are ready to speak with an experienced lawyer about the legal options available to you, contact us today.
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Minors can never consent to sexual activity; therefore, any sexual contact with a minor is considered child sex abuse. Child sexual abuse or child sexual assault are umbrella terms that may include the following:
- Rape and attempted rape
- Sodomy
- Any penetration (with fingers or objects)
- Forced kissing on the lips/mouth or elsewhere on the body
- Groping, fondling, or touching of any private areas
- Making sexually explicit jokes or comments
- Asking the minor sexually explicit questions
- Making the minor perform oral sex or performing oral sex on the minor
- Making the minor pose for sexually explicit photos or videos
- And more
Child sexual abuse can lead to extensive physical and psychological harm. For example, survivors may suffer sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, pregnancy-related health complications, injuries to reproductive organs, injuries to genitals, fractures, lacerations, post-traumatic stress, panic, depression, anxiety, and more.
Survivors of child sex abuse are also likely to experience the effects of the abuse for many years, even well into adulthood. The effects of child sex abuse can affect a survivors’ ability to form healthy relationships, the ability to hold down a job, and more.
Can I File a Lawsuit?Yes, you could have the right to file a lawsuit for child sex abuse. If you suffered abuse at the hands of a catholic priest or reverend, you could pursue a claim against the overseeing Archdiocese. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles (or any other religious institution) can be held liable for sexual abuse committed by a priest or reverend under several legal theories, including the following:
- Negligent hiring/supervision (that is, the church knew or should have known of the risk and failed to act appropriately)
- Concealment (the church covered up past instances of abuse, including misrepresenting true reasons a priest was reassigned to a different church)
- Conspiracy or cover-up (the church protected predator priests, destroyed records, or threatened victims)
- Vicarious liability (holds employers responsible for wrongful acts of employees when the acts were committed within the scope of employment)
For more information about your right to file a lawsuit, contact the experts here at our law firm as soon as possible. Our Archdiocese child sex abuse lawyers are more than ready to evaluate your claim and provide you with the guidance that you need.
What Compensation is Available?Although every incident is different, some of the categories of compensation available for recovery may include the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages
- Legal fees
- And more
How much can I recover if my lawsuit is successful? This is a very important question, although it is a difficult question to answer without a case review. In 2007, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles paid out $660 million to 500 victims. In 2013, the Archdiocese paid a $13 million settlement to 26 victims. In 2019, there were multiple settlements for incidents of abuse that occurred from the 1970s to the 1990s; these incidents had been covered up by the church. These settlements were reached in mediation and amounts remain confidential, although it is estimated that individual payouts ranged from $500,000 to $1.5 million.
Here at our law firm, our child sex abuse attorneys are fully committed to getting survivors of child sex abuse the highest recovery available for their claims regardless of whether we have to negotiate a settlement or take the case to trial to reach a verdict. For more information about the possible value of your claim, contact us today.
Under California law, survivors of child sex abuse have until the age of 40 or within 5 years of discovering psychological harm caused by the abuse to file claims. For more information about the timeline that applies to your claim, contact us today.
The Downtown L.A. Law Group Can Help YouOur attorneys believe in fighting for the rights of survivors of child sex abuse. We are committed to holding all negligent entities accountable for extensive physical and psychological harm resulting from child sex abuse, whether this negligent entity is the Archdiocese of Los Angeles or any other religious institution. We understand how difficult it can be to pursue a claim, so we are committed to making the legal process as smooth as possible. We offer free case reviews, which include free consultations and free second opinions. Our child sex abuse experts will be available to answer all your questions and address all your concerns, ensuring that you will have access to all the information that you need to begin or continue your claim. To schedule a free case review, contact us today.
Zero-Fee Guarantee: you will never be required to pay any upfront legal costs for any of our legal services. In addition, we work on a strict contingency basis, meaning that you will not be responsible for paying anything at all if your lawsuit is not successful. If you do not win, you simply will not pay anything. Contact us today to learn more about filing a reverend child sex abuse lawsuit.
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