Cape Cod priest faces Conn. assault allegation

BARNSTABLE, Mass.—Church officials say a Cape Cod priest has gone to his native Brazil after being accused of sexually assaulting a minor in Connecticut.

A spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River says the Rev. Jose Afonso Lima left for Brazil after being notified by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families that an abuse allegation against him had been substantiated.

Spokesman John Kearns says Lima was placed on temporary leave last Wednesday. He says Lima denies the allegation.

Lima was part of a mission of priests based in Bridgeport, Conn. He is a U.S. citizen who has worked on Cape Cod for about 10 years in Hyannis and Yarmouth.

Kearns says diocese officials contacted Bridgeport police after discovering that Lima may have left the country. He says the head of Lima's mission is urging Lima to return to the U.S.

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Information from: Cape Cod Times, http://www.capecodonline.com