Fugitive priest accused of molesting teen arrested in Georgia, Louisiana cops say

A former priest at a New Orleans-area church was arrested in Georgia on accusations of child molestation, according to Louisiana authorities.

Patrick Wattigny was arrested at a home in West Point, Georgia and booked into the Troup County Jail late Thursday, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office announced in a news release. Deputies took him into custody as a fugitive.

He’s expected to be extradited to St. Tammany Parish next week. No bond has been set, jail records show.

Deputies secured a warrant for Wattigny’s arrest on charges connected to the alleged sexual abuse of a juvenile during his time as a priest in 2013 at St. Luke’s Church in Slidell, Louisiana, according to police.

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“Wattigny started grooming the victim, who was 15 at the time, through general conversation, which led to telephone and text message conversations and eventually in-person visits, at which time the acts of molestation occurred on at least four different occasions,” sheriff’s office officials said. “Some of those instances occurred in the church rectory.”

Wattigny, who was defrocked by the Archdiocese of New Orleans after reportedly admitting to the abuse earlier this month, now faces four counts of molestation of a juvenile. Police said all four counts stem from the same victim.

“It is deeply disturbing when an individual in a position of authority uses that position to prey on the most defenseless of our population — our children,” St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith said in a statement.

NOLA.com reported that Wattigny is 53 years old.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of New Orleans said “our prayers are with the victim,” according to WGNO.

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing.

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