Ex-priest indicted for allegedly raping disabled child while ministering in New Orleans

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Mark Francis Ford, a former priest in New Orleans, has been indicted on nine counts, including aggravated rape of a child and kidnapping, for alleged offenses committed between 2006 and 2008. The charges stem from accusations that Ford sexually abused a disabled boy, aged 12-14 at the time, whom he met through a church program he co-founded called "God's Special Children." Ford allegedly befriended the boy while he was grieving family deaths and then exploited that relationship. The victim, who has autism and a spinal condition, reported the abuse to police in November 2024. If convicted, Ford faces a mandatory life sentence.
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Key Claims (5)
AI-ExtractedHe is accused of using his position to commit violent and reprehensible acts against a child with a disability.
The victim came forward to police in November 2024.
Ford positioned himself as a mentor to the victim while the boy grieved two family deaths.
Ford allegedly committed the offenses between 2006 and 2008, victimizing a boy who was between 12 and 14 years old.
Mark Francis Ford has been indicted on a nine-count indictment including aggravated rape of a child and kidnapping.
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