Father Fernando Lopez
Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Ordained: 2000
Arrested: 2004
Deported: 2008
Assignment History:
- 2000: Rome, Italy
- 2001: Unknown
- 2002-2003: St. Thomas the Apostle, Los Angeles, CA
- 2004-2018: Unknown
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Fernando Lopez:
Fr. Fernando Lopez, a native of Colombia, was ordained a priest in 2000, who served in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. According to media reports, he accused of sexually abusing four boys from 2000 to 2004 and was named in at least one civil lawsuit. In 2000, while Fr. Lopez was a member of the Tivoli (Rome) Diocese, he committed child sexual abuse. He pleaded guilty to repeated sexual violence on a minor and was asked to leave his post in Italy.
In 2001, Fr. Lopez came to California, and the Diocese of San Bernardino refused to allow him into ministry but was subsequently allowed to work in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He was assigned to work at St. Thomas the Apostle, where he was again was accused of child sexual abuse from 2001 to 2004.
Fr. Fernando Lopez was arrested in 2004 for child and adult sexual abuse on multiple molestation-related counts. In 2005, he was found guilty and was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison. In 2006, his conviction was overturned by the 2nd District Court of Appeal as they ruled that misconduct had taken place during Fr. Lopez’s trial.
In 2008, the California Supreme Court overturned the District Court of Appeal’s decision, and the case returned to court where his conviction was upheld. He was then deported back to Colombia in 2008. As of 2011, it was reported that he had been defrocked but could still be acting as a priest in Colombia.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in California. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in one of California’s Catholic dioceses, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles now have legal options due to a voluntary compensation fund created by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, 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 California and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.