El Paso Catholic Youth Minister Arrested On Alleged Child Sex Exploitation Charges
A 46-year-old El Paso Catholic youth minister has been arrested and charged with the sexual exploitation of children for allegedly receiving and producing child pornography.
It’s a crime punishable by 15 to 30 years in federal prison.
For the past three years, Joe Tapia III has been the head of youth ministry at San Jose Catholic Church in the Lower Valley.
No one answered the door when ABC-7 went to Tapia’s home on Thursday. San Jose’s priest declined to comment, but ABC-7 was told they had been made aware of the charges against Tapia on Thursday. Tapia has been married for 20 years and has two children – 20 and 17 years old.
According to the complaint affidavit, Tapia’s employer, Excel Learning Center, alerted authorities in October 2011 because Tapia had allegedly received pictures on his work computer of 7, 12 and 13 year olds showing their genitals.
The FBI searched Tapia’s Lower Valley home on Tuesday, and according to complaint affidavit, Tapia admitted to receiving batches of child pornography. He also admitted, as a youth minister at San Jose church, to taking video and pictures of a 15, 16 and an 18 year old changing for church performances.
