Father Edgar Sepulveda
Ordained: 1989
Removed: 2009
Assigned as Follows:
- Maria Reina Parish (Mt. Olive, NC)
- Santa Teresa Mission (Beulaville, NC)
- Santa Clara Mission (Magnolia, NC)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Edgar Sepulveda:
Originally a native of Colombia, Father Edgar Sepulveda was ordained a priest in 1989 and served in multiple parishes in the Diocese of Raleigh. According to media reports, in September 2009, he was placed on administrative leave following an allegation that he sexually abused a 16-year-old boy in Brunswick county. The matter did not make news until he was arrested on January 8th, 2010. He was charged with two counts of sex crimes against a juvenile. He denied the allegations and prosecutors dropped the criminal charges in July 2012.
A later civil suit was dismissed on the grounds that the Diocese's handling of abuse allegations is protected by the First Amendment. In July 2015, a three-judge panel of the appellate court reversed that decision and ruled that the previous lawsuit against Sepulveda can move forward. The North Carolina Court of Appeals rejected arguments made by lawyers representing Bishop Michael F. Burbidge and the Raleigh diocese that allowing the lawsuit to advance would violate the Constitutional separation of church and state.
Sepulveda's name appeared on the Diocese of Raleigh's list of clergy accused of sexual abuse of minor as of October 2018, and then again on its updated list in 2020. He is noted to be suspended while the Vatican conducts a trial of the allegations, which could result in his involuntary laicization (removal from the priesthood).
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Raleigh in North Carolina. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in North Carolina, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Raleigh now have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in North Carolina and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.