Arrest of priest for child molestation reignites scandal in Louisiana diocese

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 1 min read 100% complete by Ramon Antonio VargasJanuary 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

Korey LaVergne, a 37-year-old Roman Catholic priest, was arrested in southwest Louisiana on Friday evening and jailed on three counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile. The Acadia parish sheriff's agency made the arrest. LaVergne was a pastor at St. Edward Church in Richard, within the Lafayette diocese. The arrest has sparked a new scandal in the diocese, which is already facing significant financial challenges, potentially losing up to $162 million due to pending litigation related to clergy abuse. The diocese is where the US church's reckoning with clergy abuse began.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Richard 30% St Edward Church 40% KP Gibson 50% Lafayette Diocese 60% Acadia Parish ×260% Roman Catholic Church 70% Louisiana ×280% Korey LaVergne ×390%

Keywords

child molestation 100% priest arrest 90% clergy abuse 80% roman catholic 70% diocese scandal 70% indecent behavior 60% litigation 50% korey lavergne 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.80

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

85%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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child molestation priest arrest clergy abuse roman catholic diocese scandal indecent behavior litigation korey lavergne

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