Manhunt For N.J. Priest Accused Of Raping Teen, Then Hiding In Plain Sight

Law enforcement is still looking for information regarding the whereabouts of a New Jersey priest who has been allegedly hiding in plain sight since he was accused of raping a 15-year-old boy more than a decade ago.

The Archdiocese of Newark said Manuel Gallo Espinoza, 51, who served as a visiting priest in New Jersey, apparently fled to his native Ecuador after he was suspended him from ministry - but has re-emerged in the United State since then, according to NJ Advance Media.

The filing of a lawsuit by his alleged victim and an examination by NJ Advance Media have renewed interest in the case that once went dark, and discovered that Gallo Espinoza may have been in the United States as recently as February of 2014.

No criminal charges have been filed against Gallo Espinoza, but the Union County Prosecutor’s Office is actively involved in the search for his whereabouts.

Gallo Espinoza obtained a visa to return to the United States in 2005 and in 2008, unbeknownst to authorities in New Jersey, the took a job as a high school teacher in Prince George’s County, Md., according to the NJ Advance Media report.

Gallo Espinoza abruptly left the post in February of last year, apparently because of a personnel matter, and it’s not clear where Espinoza is now. His last known address was Lanham, Md., according to the report.

The Archdiocese of Newark has issued a public appeal, and a statement printed in a March bulletin of St. Mary’s Church in Plainfield noted that Gallo Espinoza had served as a parochial vicar there from 2000 to 2003, when he was accused of sexual misconduct with a minor.

Anyone with information should contact the Union County Prosecutor’s Office at 908-527-4500.