CASTLE ROCK — A Douglas County judge on Monday denied a request to make a temporary protection order permanent in a case involving a Centennial priest who was accused of grooming a teenage boy for sex.
Timothy and Teresa Boh were seeking the permanent order against the Rev. Paul Montez, formerly of St. Thomas More Catholic Church, from contacting their family.
The couple said the priest bought their teenage son, who worked at the church, expensive gifts, including a laptop, and stalked their family.
But Judge Lawrence Bowling denied the request for the permanent protection order. He said there was not enough evidence to prove Montez was stalking members of the Boh family or that the behavior would likely occur again.
Montez said the laptop was a birthday gift for the boy that was discussed with his mother.
“My intention with (the teen) was hoping that he would want to become a priest,” Montez testified Monday in the civil case. “In no way did I want to groom him for anything else.”
The Catholic Archdiocese of Denver removed Montez from the ministry in February in response to the family’s allegations. That came after church officials determined that the 50-year-old priest had inappropriately interfered in the family’s affairs. He is no longer allowed to minister in the archdiocese.
The archdiocese found no evidence of sexual misconduct, and no criminal charges have been filed against Montez.
Bruce Robinson, a parishioner at the church whom the teen lived with during his time away from his family, testified that he was not asked by Montez to keep the boy away from his family.
Robinson, an Arapahoe County deputy, said he provided a safe place for the 18-year-old after he ran away from home following a physical altercation with his father last November.
Robinson said the boy ran away from home after receiving “a blow to the side of the head.” Robinson said the teen told him he then ran away from home. He returned in January.
Montez frequently gave gifts to members of the church, including paying for summer camp for members of the youth group and for meals on outings, according to testimony.
