A former Catholic priest was convicted Thursday of sexually assaulting a man in Winona County in December 2020.
Ubaldo Roque Huerta, 51, was found guilty after a three-day trial on fifth-degree criminal sexual assault charges for performing sexual acts on a victim without their consent. Huerta is expected to be sentenced in January.
The former priest was charged last year but failed to show up for court appearances, leading to a warrant for his arrest. Court proceedings picked back up this spring.
In a statement, Winona County Attorney Karin Sonneman said Roque Huerta took advantage of a man he met while serving as a priest, noting the victim trusted Roque Huerta.
"Sex assaults are an often underreported crime, given the sensitive nature of the offense," Sonneman said. "All victims of sexual assault are encouraged to seek medical attention and to make a report to law enforcement."
Roque Huerta was in the process of being laicized — being dismissed from the priesthood — when the assault took place. He was officially laicized in the fall of 2021.
He was suspended from clerical duties in November 2019 over ecclesiastical matters and asked to leave the priesthood, according to officials from the Diocese of Winona-Rochester.
Advocates with the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) have questioned whether the church could have done more to prevent Roque Huerta from abusing someone.
