A Catholic priest was charged with battery after allegedly using a 13-year-old girl's hair to floss his teeth and later growling at her while visiting a church in Illinois. The complaint was filed on January 23 by the Will County State Attorney General in Illinois.
Rev. Carlos Martins, a Detroit priest who was visiting the area as part of touring exhibit of a relic of the arm of St. Jude the Apostle, faces a fine of up to $100 if convicted. Martins, 50, who has vehemently denied the incident, was released from police custody and given a notice to appear in court at a later date, according to multiple news stories.
Martins' status has been listed as "ministry revoked," according to the Archdiocese of Detroit. The Companions of the Cross, the ministry to which Martins belongs, noted in a statement that Martins withdrew from his ministry following the allegations.
"The Companions of the Cross look upon allegations of misconduct as an urgent matter that requires serious attention," according to the statement.
On November 21, 2024, Martins, a well-known priest known for the "Exorcist Files" podcast, met with students and school staff at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Joliet, IL, to tour the St. Jude exhibit. That afternoon, police responded to the church for a report that an incident of battery occurred there.
A 13-year-old girl was waiting to view the exhibit when Martins allegedly approached her and asked about her hair. Then, Martins is accused of putting some of the girl's hair in his mouth to floss with it. Later, he allegedly sat behind the same girl and made growling noises, according to the stories. When the girl told her father about what happened, he became upset and called the police.
