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Brothers say Ontario priest abused them

No charges filed; Castillo maintains his innocence

Contra Costa Times/September 14, 2010

By Liset Marquez

Ontario - Two brothers have accused a priest at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church of sexual misconduct.

The Diocese of San Bernardino was contacted June 24 by the boys' parents and informed of the alleged abuse.

Father Alex Castillo maintains his innocence and has not been charged with a crime, said John Andrews, spokesman for the diocesan.

"The Diocese of San Bernardino has received information regarding credible allegations of sexual misconduct with minors involving Father Alex Castillo, a priest of our diocese," Andrews said.

This is not the first time a complaint has been made against Castillo, who has been with the diocese since 1988. A complaint from an adult was determined to "not have creditability," Andrews said.

Castillo, who is still a pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe, is not allowed to have contact with parishioners, Andrews said.

Police were informed of the incident involving the brothers on June 25.

Ontario police Sgt. David McBride said Castillo has not been charged. McBride said he could not provide more information on the incident because the investigation - which started in early July - is ongoing.

The diocese has their own review board that investigates abuse allegations. The board has met twice since the allegations surfaced, Andrews said.

After the allegations were found to be credible, the diocese and Bishop Gerald Barnes decided to publicly announce the allegations.

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