The Rev. John Adjei-Boamah charged with sexual abuse at Franklin Square church rectory, Nassau police say

A Roman Catholic priest has been arrested on charges he forcibly touched a woman in the kitchen of a Franklin Square church rectory, according to the Nassau County Police Department.

The priest, the Rev. John Adjei-Boamah, 43, was charged with the misdemeanors of forcible touching of an intimate body part and sexual abuse in connection with the alleged incident, at the St. Catherine of Sienna Roman Catholic Church rectory. He pleaded not guilty, online court records show.

He was arraigned and released on his own recognizance, with an order of protection for the accuser, said police spokesman Det. Lt. Scott Skrynecki.

The records don’t list a lawyer for Adjei-Boamah, and no phone number for him could be found in public records. The case is due back in court July 17.

The alleged incident happened March 6 at 5 p.m. when the priest allegedly "walked up behind her in the kitchen and forcibly touched her," a police news release says. The woman knew the priest from his service at the church.

Adjei-Boamah, who’d lived in the rectory, now lives in Lake Ronkonkoma, the release says. It does not say who the woman is or describe her connection to the parish.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre, which oversees the parish, learned May 30 of the accusation "and immediately reported it to law-enforcement," diocesan spokesman the Rev. Eric Fasano wrote in a statement issued Friday. 

"He is not living at any parish and is not permitted to minister or present himself as a priest during the investigation," the statement said. 

The June 29 church bulletin, which lists Adjei-Boamah as associate pastor, first announced the accusation.

"Father Adjei Boamah will be stepping away from all ministry during the review of this matter," the bulletin said.

The accusation was reported June 6 to the police, Skrynecki said.

Adjei-Boamah was appointed to the parish on June 28, 2023, from the Diocese of Konongo-Mampong, Ghana, according to the Rockville Centre diocese’s e-newsletter. He was ordained in 2011, according to the Konongo-Mampong diocesan website.

The Rockville Centre diocese, one of the nation’s largest, with 1.2 million baptized Catholics, declared bankruptcy in 2020 under the weight of hundreds of lawsuits alleging clergy sexual abuse. In December, the diocese reached a $323 million settlement with victims.