Father Jose Palimattom
Diocese of Palm Beach/Franciscan
Ordained: Unknown
Convicted: 2015
Assignment History:
- St. Thomas the Apostle (India)
- Holy Name Catholic Church (West Palm Beach, FL)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Jose Palimattom:
Fr. Jose Palimattom is originally from India and he was a priest of the Franciscan Province of St. Thomas the Apostle in India. According to the police report, Palimattom got in trouble in India for being involved with an underage boy while working there. This incident was not reported to law enforcement and the Diocese of Palm Beach says the background check prior to Palimattom’s arrival showed no prior misconduct.
In 2014, Palimattom began serving at Holy Name Catholic Church in West Palm Beach, Florida. After a month of serving in the parish, in January of 2015, Palimattom was arrested and charged with obscenity for showing child pornography to a 14-year-old boy and Palimattom admitted his behavior after the boy’s father alerted the police. Palimattom served 6 months in jail, then was deported to India in June of 2016.
According to media reports, a Holy Name pastor told police he was instructed that when Palimattom arrived he was to have no contact with minors without an adult present. The pastor claimed demotion/poor treatment by the diocese as a result of Palimattom’s case in 2016. In 2017, the pastor filed suit against the diocese, but the appeals court dismissed the lawsuit in 2018, saying the court cannot get involved in church administrative issues.
Palimattom’s current whereabouts are unknown.
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