A former priest of St. Philip Catholic Church in Franklin has been recently indicted on additional sexual battery charges. Juan Carlos Garcia-Mendoza, 31, already facing a series of sex crime charges, found himself accused with two more counts as of June 5. Before this new development, Garcia-Mendoza had been indicted in February on allegations including continuous sexual abuse of a child and aggravated sexual battery, as reported by WSMV.
In the latest indictment, the Williamson County grand jury decided to additionally charge the former clergyman, bringing the total accusations against him to nine, comprising six counts related to sexual battery. The alleged abuses took place between July 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2023, involving multiple minors. According to a report by The News TN, four of the five victims were children aged 11 to 16 at the time of the purported incidents.
The former priest’s bond remains set at $2 million, and he is currently jailed in the Williamson County Jail. Garcia-Mendoza was ordained in 2020 and began his service at St. Philip in July 2022 after previously serving at Saint Rose of Lima in Murfreesboro. Issues started to surface after a complaint submitted to the Diocese of Nashville's Safe Environment Office reported "improper touching" of a teenager in the parish. This led to his removal from his post in early November 2023 and subsequent investigation, as explained by WSMV.
The Franklin Police Department is actively seeking additional information regarding Garcia-Mendoza. They encourage anyone with knowledge of the case to reach out to Detective Andrea Clark by email at [email protected] or by phone at 615-550-6829. The 21st Judicial District Office of the District Attorney General is in charge of prosecuting the case, and victim resources can be found at Maury County Source.
