Mangaluru Priest Arrested for Alleged Sexual Assault on Five Minor Boys
Total Views |
Mangaluru, Oct 21: The Mangaluru police have arrested Siprian Pinto, a priest at St. Vincent Ferrer Church in Valencia, Mangaluru, over allegations of aggravated sexual assault on five 14-year-old boys.
According to the complaint, the priest allegedly approached the boy by offering him a chocolate and telling him that he liked the boy's smile. He then allegedly took the child to a room inside the church and touched him inappropriately.
The police are continuing the investigation and will present the accused before the magistrate after completing the required procedures. The allegations are subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.
Mangaluru Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy confirmed the arrest, stating that Pinto was apprehended at the house of his relatives. The police will produce him before a magistrate after completing interrogation and other necessary procedures.
The case came to light after one of the alleged victims filed a complaint with the Mangaluru South police on the night of October 15. In his complaint, the 14-year-old boy alleged that Pinto had sexually assaulted him on multiple occasions.
The boy further alleged that Pinto continued to touch him inappropriately during subsequent visits to the church for prayers.
According to the complaint, another incident took place on the evening of August 14, when Pinto allegedly called the boy into the receptionist's room, hugged him and put his hands inside the boy's undergarments.
The complainant subsequently informed four of his friends, all aged 14, about the alleged incidents. According to the complaint, the four boys told him that they had also experienced similar conduct by the priest.
Father Cyprian Pinto, the parish priest of St Vincent Ferrer Church in Valencia, Karnataka, was arrested by Mangaluru Police over allegations of sexually abusing minor boys.
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) October 20, 2026
Police registered a case under the POCSO Act. Initial police inquiries identified 5 victims.
Police is… pic.twitter.com/mpNvwOx0pz
The victim then informed his parents about the alleged sexual harassment. The boy and his parents approached the Bishop of Mangaluru, following which they lodged a police complaint on his instructions.
The complaint prompted the Mangaluru South police to register a case against Pinto under the relevant provisions of the law.
Based on the complaint, the police registered a case under Sections 8 and 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which deal with sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault, respectively.
The case also includes Section 75(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, as cited in the complaint, relating to sexual harassment.