Pomona Priest Charged With Abuse

A Pomona priest was charged Thursday with four felonies for allegedly molesting two sisters over four years, becoming the first Archdiocese of Los Angeles pastor to face prosecution since the sexual abuse scandal rocked the church nationwide.

Father Honesto Bismonte, 72, an associate pastor at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, will be arraigned today via a video hookup from the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, according to San Bernardino County prosecutors.

Prosecutors charged Bismonte with three felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 and one felony count of lewd and lascivious acts with a child 14 or 15.

Briye McCann, a deputy district attorney, said she filed two counts for each victim, with the first count covering the first two years of abuse and the second count covering the second two years.

“The charges involving a child under the age of 14 mean he could face a much more lengthy sentence,” said McCann.

The charges involving a child under 14 carry a maximum state prison term of eight years. The charge involving a 14- or 15-year-old carries a maximum of three years in state prison.

McCann said the priest committed the crimes between 1997 and 2001, when he rented a room from the girls’ aunt in her Fontana home.

The girls, who are sisters, would frequently visit their aunt’s home.

The sisters, now 13 and 17, told Fontana police that the priest touched them over and under their clothing about 50 times, said Sgt. Robert Beltran.

Bismonte was arrested Monday and held on $200,000 bail. Archdiocese officials learned of the allegations last week and put the priest on leave, said Tod Tamberg, an archdiocesan spokesman. An anonymous tipster reported Bismonte on an archdiocese hotline for sexual abuse.

In an interview Wednesday from jail, Bismonte declared his innocence and blamed a cultural misunderstanding for the allegations.

He said hugging and other physical contact with children are far more accepted in his Philippine culture.

“I’m sorry this has come this far,” he said, blaming the wave of current allegations against priests for his plight.

Bismonte acknowledged taking the girls to the park to play on the swings.

“We used to wrestle,” he said.

Bismonte said he believed that the girls came forward because of publicity over abuse accusations against priests.

“The plaintiffs’ credibility is weak,” he said.

In December 2000, Bismonte was assigned to St. Joseph’s, which also operates a school. He served previously at St. Anthony of Padua in Gardena.

Beltran said the allegations were reported to a school official, who informed the county Department of Children and Family Services. Social workers contacted Fontana police.

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Times correspondent Gene Maddaus contributed to this story.