A Catholic priest from the United States, who escaped charges, married a teenager, with whom he fled to Italy

Photo: via YouTube/YouTubeUS Catholic priest who avoided charges marries teen who fled to Italy with Alexander Crow, 30, married at 18. 2-year high school graduate Friday, according to a license registered in Mobile County, Alabama.

A Roman Catholic priest from Alabama who was investigated by law enforcement after he fled to Europe with a recent high school graduate he met during his ministry, legally marrying her after he returned to the US with her, according to a document provided to the Guardian.

In late July, Crowe — an expert in the theological study of demons and exorcism — was stripped of his ecclesiastical duties by the Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile after he traveled to Italy with a teenager and said he would never return to the US.

The archdiocese told him that he had “renounced his appointment” and was accused of behavior “totally unbecoming a priest.”

Although unspecified by the archdiocese, priests are celibate, and amid a decades-long clergy molestation scandal, Catholic officials have implemented rules designed to set boundaries between clergy and vulnerable adults.

The teenager's parents, who attended Mc-Gill Toolen while Crowe was volunteering there, did not know that she was going to Italy with him.

The Mobile County Sheriff's Office looked into allegations that Crowe engaged in sexual misconduct and grooming of multiple girls at McGill-Toolen. However, on November 7, mobile television station WKRG released a statement from the local district attorney saying that prosecutors would not be filing charges.

The statement said that after she was called to a meeting with investigators under a subpoena, the teen «refused to answer any questions» about his trip with Crow.

“She seemed fine. health and reported that she was safe,” the message says. “Without being able to speak to the girl about these events, we do not have sufficient admissible evidence to charge her with a crime at this time. Therefore, the investigation is currently closed.»

Investigators found a letter that Crowe sent to the girl on Valentine's Day, when she was still 17. The message expressed strong love and said that they were already married. But the marriage license registered jointly in their names in Mobile lists the wedding date as Friday.

The document, which clearly states the minimum age for marriage in Alabama is 16 , states: “Each of us enters into marriage voluntarily and of our own free will and not under coercion or undue influence.”

Attempts to contact the Crows, the girl or their families were not immediately available were successful.

Mobile Archbishop Thomas Rodi said he intends to seek Crowe's permanent removal from the clergy. an extremely rare measure, often not applied to clergy accused or even convicted of crimes.

The process, controlled by church law, will not begin until early next year, WKRG reports. .

Rodi was a senior official in neighboring New Orleans in 2000 when that archdiocese included him in a letter reinstating a priest who had gone on sabbatical after admitting to sexual misconduct or persecution of several children.

This priest, Lawrence Hecker, was not in danger of being expelled from the clergy. He resigned quietly in 2002, but was recently charged with child rape, kidnapping and other crimes.

Rodi has repeatedly rejected insinuations that the Mobile Archdiocese is dragging its feet. or is reluctant to cooperate in this matter. Crow investigation.