A Priest Of Kenyan Descent Pleads Guilty To Sexual Battery In Virginia

By Mwakilishi | Wed, 09/29/2010 04:17PM -0400

Fr. Felix Owino

A priest with ties to the Ohio Valley pleaded guilty Tuesday to sexually battering a young girl in Virginia.

Prosecutors said the Rev. Felix Owino was drinking the night he inappropriately touched an 11-year-old girl.

"I did what they said," Owino told a Fairfax County, Va., judge in a soft-spoken voice.

If the judge approves the plea agreement, Owino won't serve more than five years in prison. Officials said Owino also faces deportation back to his home country of Kenya.

Owino most recently served as an associate pastor at St. Paul's parish in Weirton. Until June, he was also a faculty member in the philosophy department of Wheeling Jesuit University.

He was charged with one count of aggravated sexual battery stemming from a July 7 incident involving a child in Herndon, Va. Police said they were called to a home after a family reported Owino -- their house guest and longtime friend -- inappropriately touched a girl in their home.

Prosecutors said Owino was watching a movie at the family's home when he moved to the back of the room next to the victim and rubbed the girl's hands and feet. He then touched her in appropriate places and told the girl, "Do not tell."

The child told her mother, and the mother kicked Owino out of the house and ordered him to stay on the steps until police arrived. Prosecutors said Owino admitted he touched the girl and told police he'd not done anything like that before.

Prosecutors said the victim's family accepted the plea deal, and victims' advocates said families usually do that to protect their child from going to court.

Although Owino made a plea deal with prosecutors for a maximum of 5 years, the judge made it clear the decision is ultimately up to him. He could reject the plea bargain out and give Owino the maximum sentence of 20 years.

Owino could also be deported because he's not an American citizen. Originally from Nairobi, Kenya, Owino was ordained in 1992 and is a member of the Religious Missionary Institute of the Apostles of Jesus, headquartered in Philadelphia. He joined the faculty of Wheeling Jesuit in the fall of 2008 and taught for two consecutive terms, most recently instructed an online class. Prior to that, he worked at Magdalen College in New Hampshire and before that at Alvernia College in Reading, Pa.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place in December.

Source: http://www.wtov9.com/news/25206503/detail.html

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Sun, 10/03/2010 01:27PM -0400

Judy Jones

Don't listen to "do not tell".

On Wednesday September 29th, Fr. Felix Charles Owino pled guilty to molesting an 11 year old Virginia girl. Most recently, Owino worked at St. Pauls Catholic Church in Weirton.

Sometimes, when one victim of a predator discloses, others sit back and assume he will be kept away from kids forever. But it's important for everyone with information about clergy sex crimes to speak up and contact law enforcement.

This admitted child predator priest needs to be kept in jail. If any others have been harmed by Owino, he might be charged and convicted for more crimes and imprisoned longer. Owino is just 44 years old so even if he serves 5 years, he could molest again after being freed.

I made the trip again to Weirton on Thursday, to reach out to any other possible victims who might be too afraid to speak up. If you have been harmed by this priest, please talk to your parents or someone whom you can trust. I hope with all my heart that no other child has been harmed, but if you have, it is not good to keep it hidden deep inside yourself. It will only do more harm to YOU.

It takes a lot of courage to tell someone. The brave little girl in Virginia did the right thing by telling her mom, even after Fr Felix said to her "do not tell".

Judy Jones, Midwest Associate Director of SNAP, "Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests" 636-433-2511, snapjudy@gmail.com.