A former Catholic priest with a long career in New Mexico parishes has been arrested on criminal charges of coercion and solicitation of a minor to engage in sexual activity through text messages.
SANTA FE, NM — A former Catholic priest with a long career in New Mexico parishes has been arrested on criminal charges of coercing and soliciting a minor to engage in sexual activity through text messages, federal law enforcement authorities announced Thursday. law
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office said Daniel Balizan of Springer, New Mexico, was arrested in connection with a grand jury indictment.
A redacted copy of the indictment accuses Balizan, 61, of knowingly attempting to coerce an unnamed minor into sexual activity in August and September 2012 in Santa Fe County.
The charges carry a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted and up to life behind bars.
It was unclear whether Balizan had a legal representative. The first court appearance was scheduled for Friday.
A timeline of Balizan’s church assignments by investigators shows he served at Santa Maria de la Paz Parish, beginning in June 2012. Previous assignments include parishes in Raton, Albuquerque, Clovis, Chama and Socorro.
In a statement, the Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe said it received allegations of abuse against Balizan in 2022 and promptly reported the information to authorities, leading to Balizan’s removal from service.
The diocese reached a $121.5 million settlement last year to settle nearly 400 claims made by people who say they were abused by Roman Catholic clergy.
In New Mexico, about 74 priests have been deemed “credibly accused” of sexually abusing children while assigned to parishes and schools by the archdiocese, which covers central and northern New Mexico.
