Priest Charged With Seeking Contract Hit on Teen Witness in Sex-Assault Case
A Catholic priest already facing criminal sexual-assault charges in a Texas has been re-arrested and jailed in lieu of $700,000 bail in Dallas County after allegedly seeking a contract hit on the claimed victim, who is also a witness in a related civil case.
Father John Fiala, 52, has now been charged with solicitation to commit capital murder in addition to aggravated sexual assault of a child, according to CNN and the San Antonio Express-News.
An Associated Press article provides additional details.
The articles say Fiala is accused of approaching a neighbor with an offer to kill the unidentified teen. However, the neighbor reportedly blew the whistle and the priest then allegedly offered $5,000 to an undercover agent with the Texas Department of Public Safety for the contract hit on the youth, who is now 18.
A lawyer representing Fiala could not immediately be reached for comment.
