Catholic priest sentenced to 7 years over sexual assault of children, adults
A Catholic priest has been sentenced to seven years in prison for inappropriately touching a teenager and engaging in other acts of sexual misconduct.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, announced in its publication Nashville Catholic on Monday that Juan Carlos Garcia, who formerly served as an associate pastor of St. Philip Catholic Church in Franklin, will serve seven years in prison and be listed in the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry after pleading guilty in Williamson County Court to one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child, one count of aggravated sexual battery, four counts of sexual battery by an authority figure and two counts of sexual battery.
The diocese clarified that the multiple counts of sexual misconduct involved both minors and adults. As part of his guilty plea, Garcia agreed not to contest his laicization from the priesthood.
“The Catholic Church’s Code of Canon Law states that “A cleric is to be punished with deprivation of office and with other just penalties, not excluding, where the case calls for it, dismissal from the clerical state” if he “commits an offence against the sixth commandment of the Decalogue with a minor.”
The Franklin Police Department confirmed the news of Garcia’s sentencing in an X post on Monday, thanking “our detectives and the District AG’s Office for their hard work on this case.” Garcia’s sentencing comes more than a year after he was indicted on the sexual abuse charges by a Williamson County grand jury in February 2024.
St. Philip Catholic Church informed its congregation of the developments involving Garcia in a message to parishioners on Monday. In addition to sharing the statement from the diocese, the Rev. Gervan Menezes, pastor of St. Philip, urged parishioners to “Continue to pray for all the families and people involved” and expressed hope that the Lord would “give comfort and peace” to the victims.
The Diocese of Nashville first became aware of Garcia’s illicit behavior in November 2023, when parish officials informed the Diocese of Nashville’s Safe Environment Office that a teenage parishioner at St. Philip accused the priest of touching him inappropriately. This prompted the diocese and St. Philip representatives to submit a report to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Garcia was removed from ministry after the Franklin Police Department began investigating the allegations.
The diocese provided additional details about what has transpired in the past year-and-a-half in its Monday statement, noting that Garcia has been held in the Williamson County Jail since his arrest. The diocese further stressed that it had “retained a former FBI agent to conduct an internal investigation” and that the Vatican has “remained informed and involved from the outset of this matter, directing the appropriate canonical processes.”
“Throughout the process, the diocese has stated it is fully cooperating with civil authorities and continues to offer victim assistance to those affected by abuse within the church’s ministries. Individuals with relevant information have been urged to contact the Franklin Police Department,” the Diocese noted.
Garcia was ordained to the priesthood in 2020, serving as an associate pastor at St. Rose of Lima Church in Murfreesboro before transferring to St. Philip in 2022.
