Father Miguel Flores
Ordained: 1994
Placed on Leave: 2018 and 2019
Assigned as Follows:
- St. Joseph's Catholic Church (Bakersfield, CA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Miguel Flores:
Father Miguel Flores, originally from Guadalajara, Mexico was ordained a priest in Bolivia in 1994, and came to serve in the Diocese of Fresno in 1999. He had previously worked and ministered in many countries including Peru, Chile, Argentina, Australia and Colombia. According to media reports, he was placed on paid administrative leave in late 2018, due to allegations involving a 16-year-old girl stemming back to 2002. The alleged assault happened while Flores was serving at parishes in Hanford and Tranquility, where the victim held the position as his office assistant.
After criminal charges were filed, Miguel Flores was cleared by a jury of three counts of forcible rape, three counts of sex with a minor and charges of making threats and intimidating a witness. After the trial, Flores was allowed to return to active ministry.
The case reopened a year later after new information was deemed credible and Flores was again placed on leave in 2019.
As of January 2020, the Diocese of Fresno was faced with a second lawsuit in less than a month under the state's new Child Victims Act. The lawsuit once again accused Miguel Flores of sexual abuse claims of which he was acquitted after the criminal trial in 2002. The alleged victim claims the sexual abuse took place on at least six different occasions.
Teresa Dominguez, chancellor with the Diocese of Fresno, allegedly called the victim back in 2019 and apologized for to her for the sexual abuse she experienced, and the trial she had to witness in 2002 as a minor, according to the suit. During the same call, Dominguez alleged informed the victim a third party had come forward regarding her abuse by Flores, and the allegations were now found to be credible.
The alleged victim is seeking a jury trial on issues that can be tried.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Fresno 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 Diocese of Fresno now have legal options due to a temporary change in California law, 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 toll-free at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.