Full timeline of sex abuse allegations against former Conroe priest
CONROE, Texas (KTRK) -- A possible sex abuse scandal involving a local priest is unfolding.
Prosecutors say multiple people have come forward, saying that Father Manuel La Rosa-Lopez sexually abused children in Conroe in the 1990s to early 2000s.
1992
A sixth grade boy accused Manuel La Rosa-Lopez of inappropriately touching him.
Oct. 9, 1992
An attorney conducted an investigation into whether the church was required to notify CPS.
Oct. 12, 1992
Bishop Joseph Fiorenza wrote to the attorney saying an additional psychological exam would be conducted before La Rosa-Lopez was re-admitted into seminary.
Spring 1993
La Rosa-Lopez was re-admitted into seminary.
Oct. 1999
An underage male was allegedly sexually abused by La Rosa-Lopez.
April 2000
An underage girl was allegedly sexually abused by La Rosa-Lopez.
2001
The alleged female victim and her family reported the alleged abuse to the church and moved to Israel.
April 16, 2001 - Jan. 3, 2002
La Rosa-Lopez was admitted to the Shalom Recovery Center.
2004
La Rosa-Lopez was assigned to St. John Fisher in Richmond.
2010
The female accuser moved back to the area.
She reported her previous abuse again to the church after realizing La Rosa-Lopez was still working.
EXCLUSIVE: 'I can't believe it's happening' Abuse accuser speaks after Conroe priest's arrest
Aug. 10, 2018
The male accuser met with Cardinal DiNardo of the Galveston-Houston Catholic Archdiocese.
Aug. 27-29, 2018
Both accusers filed separate police reports to Conroe PD and an investigation began.
Sept. 11, 2018
La Rosa-Lopez turned himself in to police.
Sept. 12, 2018
A search warrant was executed at La Rosa-Lopez's Richmond parish.
Sept. 13, 2018
La Rosa-Lopez bonded out of jail.
Sept. 17, 2018
Authorities executed a search warrant at Sacred Heart Catholic Church where La Rosa-Lopez had been a priest.
Sept. 19, 2018
A search warrant was executed at the Shalom Treatment Center in connection to La Rosa-Lopez.
Oct. 4, 2018
A former altar boy claimed La Rosa-Lopez also abused him.
Nov. 28, 2018
A search warrant was executed at the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in connection to La Rosa-Lopez.
SNAP alleged there was a fourth victim of La Rosa-Lopez. He has not been charged.
Jan. 2019
La Rosa-Lopez appeared in court for four counts of indecency with a child. Prosecutors called the case "slow moving."
April 2019
A lawsuit filed against the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in Conroe revealed La Rosa-Lopez allegedly exposed himself to a then 15-year-old during confession.
May 2019
La Rosa-Lopez was indicted by a grand jury on two of the four counts of indecency with a child that allegedly led to his Sept. 11, 2018 arrest. His two other charges remained pending.
May 2019
La Rosa-Lopez entered a not guilty plea concerning two charges involving sexual assault of a child. The two charges concerned the underage female victim who said she was sexually assaulted when she attended Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Conroe in 2000.
June 2019
La Rosa-Lopez was indicted with indecency with a child by exposure in relation to the then 15-year-old boy who said La Rosa-Lopez exposed himself during confession. It was his fifth charge in the allegations that he sexually abused children.
December 2019
New court records revealed La Rosa-Lopez allegedly propositioned another priest in a Galveston County hotel and suggested a trade of sexual favors in exchange for the priest to be assigned to a larger parish. The court records also reveal an additional allegation in which La Rosa-Lopez is accused of groping and raping a woman several times in 2005 while she was working at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Sugar Land.
November 2020
La Rosa-Lopez entered a guilty plea for two charges of indecency with a child. He is expected to serve 10 years in prison and is set to be formally sentenced in December. Each of the second-degree felony charges carried a punishment of anywhere from probation to up to 20 years in prison.
