WASHINGTON — Arlington Diocese officials revealed that a Clifton, Virginia priest admitted to having sexual contact with a minor.
According to a release sent by the Arlington Diocese on Saturday, Father Christopher Mould admitted to the Bishop of Arlington, Michael F. Burbidge, that he had sexual contact with a minor during his time as Parochial Vicar at St. Thomas à Becket Church in Reston, Va.
Mould served as Parochial Vicar for three years, from 1992-95.
According to the release, Bishop Burbidge reported the admission immediately to Fairfax County Police and made arrangements for Mould to relocate to a residence at, "a place where he would not be in contact with any minor near a church or school property."
The release stated that Mould has since resigned as Pastor of St. Andrew the Apostle Church, and Burbidge said Mould currently holds no church office and is not permitted to practice priesthood. The statement noted that prior to his admission of guilt, the Diocese had never received a complaint of sexual abuse or misconduct against Mould.
The Diocese of Arlington also stated in the release that they are fully committed to a zero-tolerance policy related to sexual abuse of minors, and are fully cooperating with law enforcement in any investigation they pursue.
Bishop Burbidge said the incident is a betrayal of trust, and offered counseling service options to those who may need them.
"Any such incident is a grave sin and a profound betrayal of trust," Burbidge said in the release. "I express my heartfelt regret to the individual who was harmed by Father Mould’s actions."
The Diocese encourages anyone who knows of any misconduct or abuse on the part of any cleric or employee of the Diocese to report it to the Virginia Attorney General hotline or to contact the Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator at (703) 841-2530.
If you have further information on this particular case, you are asked to contact the Fairfax County Police directly at (703) 246-7800 to speak to detectives.
