A defrocked priest allegedly ran off to Europe with an Alabama teen after the pair began a secret romantic relationship, spurring the woman’s parents to plead for her return and a criminal investigation by local authorities, Fox 10 reports.
The priest, 30-year-old Alex Crow, and the 18-year-old are said to be staying in Italy and have no plans to come back.
Crow was defrocked two weeks ago by the Archdiocese of Mobile for allegedly abandoning his post at Corpus Christi Catholic Church.
“His behavior is totally unbecoming of a priest. He has been informed by the archbishop that he may no longer exercise ministry as a priest, nor to tell people he is a priest, nor to dress as a priest. In addition, due to the circumstances of his departure, we have reported this to the district attorney,” the archdiocese said in a written statement.
Meanwhile, local police say they are probing allegations that Crow may have groomed the teen, who graduated in May, while she was still in high school. Authorities have allegedly obtained a love letter that Crow wrote to the teen on Valentine’s Day of this year while she was enrolled at McGill-Toolen High School in Mobile, according to Fox 10.
If the relationship started while the teen was still in high school, it’s possible that a crime occurred, Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch told WPMI-TV.
“I don’t want to get into details of the case and what was leading us down that path,” Burch told the television station.
“I believe there was some grooming that’s gone on, and you’ve got a much older adult interacting with teenage girls in an inappropriate way.”
The teen’s parents have flown to Italy to convince their daughter to return home. However, she has reportedly told loved ones that “she went with him on her own free will,” is happy and wants to be left in peace, according to the Daily Mail.
The parents had planned to speak at a press conference on Thursday, but the event was scrapped out of concern for the woman’s safety.
“They’re afraid something is going to happen to their daughter,” the family’s attorney, Christine Hernandez, told WPMI-TV.
Burch said Crow is particularly interested in demons and exorcisms, and that the pair may have flown to Italy so he could perform one on the teen.
In a statement to Fox 10, the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office said it also is involved in the case.
“We are working closely with MCSO on this case. This is an active investigation, so we are limited on what we can say in order to protect the integrity of the investigation. The circumstances surrounding this case are concerning, and it has the full attention of the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office,” the statement reads, according to Fox 10.
Burch said it is possible that more female students are involved, according to Fox 10. In one previous instance, church officials allegedly ordered the priest not to have contact with another female student who is a friend of the 18-year-old teen.
Crow, who was ordained in 2021, visited theology classes at the school and heard confessions from students there.
Prior to joining the church, Crow was in a rock band called “Alex Crow & The Altar Boys,” according to the DailyMail.
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[Feature Photo: Alex Crow/Archdiocese of Mobile]
