WANTED: Former Union County Priest Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Tee n

Plainfield, NJ -- Police are offering a $10,000 reward to help them find a former Catholic priest who is charged with sexually assaulting a teenager inside a Plainfield church, Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced.

Manuel Gallo Espinoza, 52, is charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault and two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact. 

A Union County grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Espinoza for sexually assaulting the then-16- year-old victim at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church on West Sixth Street in Plainfield, where he once was affiliated with, on at least one occasion in early 2003, according to the prosecutor's report/

Espinoza is believed to be living in Ecuador.

Anyone with information about this matter or Espinoza’s whereabouts is being urged to contact Sgt. Patricia Gusmano with the Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Victims Unit at 908-965- 3890. 

The Union County Crime Stoppers also are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case; tips can be given anonymously by phone at 908-654- TIPS (8477), via text message by texting “UCTIP” plus a message to 274637 (CRIMES), or online at www.uctip.org.

Espinoza could face 5 to 10 years in state prison.