OGDEN — The Rev. Mario Arbelaez Olarte, who has been charged with enticing a minor over the Internet, is scheduled to stand trial in September.
Second District Judge Scott Hadley on Tuesday set Sept. 25-26 for the two-day trial. The enticement charge is a class A misdemeanor, which carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail.
Olarte, who was assigned to St. Joseph Catholic Church, has been put on administrative leave by the Catholic Diocese but still has a large following of of devoted parishioners. More than 50 people packed the courtroom Tuesday and followed the priest out of the courthouse.
"I think he will be found innocent," one woman, who declined to give her name, said in a soft voice.
"I don't believe he is guilty. He is innocent," said Honorio Rodriguez, a parishioner at St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Olarte, who appeared in court in pants, shirt and sweater without his clerical collar, left without speaking.
Olarte, a native of Colombia, has been assistant priest at that church since August 2002. He previously was an assistant priest in Midvale.
He was arrested May 14 after allegedly using the Internet to try to entice a boy, who turned out to be a police officer posing as a 15-year-old. Olarte previously has said he was doing research for a lesson.
The Catholic Diocese seems to have distanced itself somewhat from Olarte since his arrest.
"We are no longer supporting his visa," said Monica Howa-Johnson, spokeswoman for the Catholic Diocese. "Typically, when someone comes into the country on a work visa, an organization will sponsor them. The Catholic Diocese has withdrawn the sponsorship for him."
If convicted, Olarte could be deported to Colombia.
As part of the administrative leave from the church, Olarte also is prohibited from wearing clerical garb.
Church officials have taken steps to minister to St. Joseph's large Spanish-speaking parish that Olarte previously served.
After Olarte's legal problems began, the Rev. Jesus Montoya, a parochial vicar who functions much like an assistant pastor, was transferred from St. Henry Catholic Church in Brigham City to St. Joseph Catholic Church. He is Hispanic and speaks Spanish. Since then, his appointment in Ogden has become permanent.
St. Joseph also will get a new pastor in August, but this is a routine change that has nothing to do with Olarte's situation, Howa-Johnson said. Every year, it is common for many Catholic priests to be reassigned or transferred as various other priests take sabbaticals or retire.
St. Joseph's new priest will be the Rev. Hernando Diaz, who is serving at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Salt Lake City. He also is Hispanic and speaks Spanish.
E-mail: lindat@desnews.com