Jamie Adolfo Gonzalez-Farias, Aggravated Sexual Abuse, South Carolina 2022

A former South Carolina priest, Jamie Adolfo Gonzalez-Farias, has been indicted on three counts of sexually abusing an 11-year-old minor. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in Columbia, South Carolina, on an unspecified date.

Gonzalez-Farias, 67, was ordained as a priest in 1990 and has held various positions in churches across the state, including Pastor, Parochial Vicar, Administrator, Chaplain, and Priest. He began serving in South Carolina in 2015 and allegedly sexually abused a minor to whom he had access through his position as a priest.

The indictment charges Gonzalez-Farias with Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity, and Aggravated Sexual Abuse with a Child. The grand jury also identified Florida state statutes of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation and Lewd or Lascivious Exhibition as implicated by Gonzalez-Farias’s conduct.

Gonzalez-Farias was arrested in Miami, Florida, on November 28, 2022, and was placed in the custody of the United States Marshals. On January 9, 2023, he made his initial appearance in federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, where he elected to remain detained without requesting a bond. United States Magistrate Judge Shiva V. Hodges ordered that Gonzalez-Farias remain detained pending trial.

Gonzalez-Farias faces a mandatory sentence of at least 30 years in federal prison and a maximum of Life on the Aggravated Sexual Abuse With a Child count. He also faces a mandatory sentence of at least 10 years and a maximum of Life on the remaining counts, as well as fines of up to $250,000, a $5,000 special assessment, and mandatory restitution payable to any victims.

The FBI is seeking the public’s help in identifying potential victims and encourages anyone who believes they or their minor dependents were victimized by Gonzalez-Farias to contact the FBI at 803-551-4200.

U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Laurens County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and E. Elizabeth Major are prosecuting the case.