A former priest at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Danbury will be arraigned today.  An attorney for Jaime Marin-Cardona  told Hearst Connecticut Media that his client intends to enter a not guilty plea.  Marin-Cardona was charged earlier this month with three counts each of sexual assault, illegal sexual contact and risk of injury to a child stemming from accusations of sexually assaulting one boy and groping another. 

He is being held on $500,000 bond.  The arrest warrant claims that the 51-year-old groomed both boys over the course of four years, starting in 2014.  The church found no abuse allegations when it investigated Marin-Cardona in 2015, though he was reportedly re-trained on church policies. 

The Bridgeport diocese contacted Danbury police this past September about “boundary violations” and possible grooming of two children by Marin-Cardona.  According to the arrest warrant, the Colombia native was transferred to parishes in Bridgeport 2017, but continued to drive to Danbury to visit both families. 

Marin-Cardona’s passport was seized by police and he was ordered to have no contact with either victim or any child under the age of 18.