A Catholic priest has been removed from his positing within an Oklahoma archdiocese after details came to light regarding his sex crime conviction in San Diego.
Father Jose Alexis Davila had been at St. Jude’s Shrine of the West in Southcrest only two months when he was arrested in 2012.
Davila pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery for groping a 20-year-old woman and was sentenced to three years of probation.
He was later reinstated at St. Jude’s but left by the end of 2012.
In December 2015, the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City welcomed Davila to the fold.
Paul S. Coakley, the Archbishop of Oklahoma City defended Davila's placement said in a previous interview.
"Without excusing or justifying his behavior, I think he can now safely and appropriately return to ministry,” Coakley said. "Some actions such as the sexual abuse of a child are so grievous that the perpetrator must be permanently removed from ministry. This was not one of those actions."
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However, on Tuesday, the archdiocese released a statement saying new information about allegations against Davila has come to light, making it necessary to remove him.
Father Davila left the archdiocese on Tuesday.
Archbishop Coakley had said that a job offer was made to Davila after a full investigation, including a background check, probationary period and lengthy interviews with leaders from where Davila has served.
