Worcester’s Bishop Robert McManus has finally suspended Fr. James Aquino after he was arrested in a Las Vegas adult bookstore.
The story first broke last week when Worcester Voice and Roman Catholic Faithful posted arrest reports and other information on their web sites. Long story short: Aquino was arrested in Las Vegas a year ago by undercover cops who said they saw him in an adult bookstore engaging in lewd conduct with another man. He allegedly said he had no ID and have false information, but then admitted he was hiding his driver’s license in his shoe. Aquino was a pastor and head of the diocesan permanent diaconate program.
Last month, Aquino got up at his parish, his lawyer by his side, and told parishioners he had “made a mistake” by going into the sex store, but denied being arrested or engaging in any lewd conduct. (If you’re a priest accused of a crime, don’t bring your lawyer to the altar. That’s just tacky.) As usual, the parishioners applauded and cried and declared him the best priest ever.
