Accused California Priests: Edward Anthony Rodrigue

Fr. Rodrigue’s sexual abuse against minors trailed him everywhere he served, and the Church was forced to relocate him often in an attempt to hide his misconduct. The first child sex abuse case against Fr. Rodrigue that resulted in a legal proceeding emerged in 1979. He was accused of a misdemeanor child molestation charge, which he did not contest, and was sentenced to probation. He continued his role as a priest before retiring three years later.

Sexual abuse survivors and victims continued to come forward, accusing Fr. Rodrigue of assault, even after his retirement. He was consequently laicized in 1992. Five years later, a San Bernardino Sheriff’s report announced that Fr. Rodrigue admitted to sexually abusing an average of four to five children each year. A total of 150 abused victims were discovered after further investigation. In 2020, four of his victims in the 1960’s-70’s filed suit under the California Child Victims Act against the Diocese of San Diego. The legislation provides a three-year window that runs until December 31, 2022, and extends the rights of child sex abuse survivors to file a legal claim against their perpetrators.