LOS ANGELES (AP) — A man who claims he was molested years ago by a Mexican priest in a Los Angeles rectory has sued the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and a Mexican cardinal.

Plaintiff Oscar Negrete of Los Angeles says in the suit filed Friday he was 12 when he was sexually abused by now-defrocked Nicholas Aguilar Rivera, who had been temporarily assigned to Los Angeles from Tehuacan, Mexico.

This suit and three others filed in the last 18 months allege church leaders in Los Angeles and Mexico City knew about the priest’s conduct but failed to properly investigate him.

Aguilar Rivera remains at large in Mexico and he is wanted on 19 felony counts of lewd conduct in the U.S.
A Los Angeles archdiocese spokesman has said previously allegations of a conspiracy between church leaders are false.

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