A former Catholic priest who left the church to work in two Louisiana governors’ administrations was arrested Thursday for allegedly raping a disabled child, according to a Friday report.
Mark Francis Ford, 64, was arrested by federal agents Thursday in Indiana, according to The Guardian. He faces first-degree rape, second-degree kidnapping, sexual battery, and indecent behavior with a juvenile charges, the outlet reported.
Ford was accused of sexual abuse by a now 31-year-old man with a degenerative spinal cord condition, which occasionally requires him to use a wheelchair, his lawyer Kristi Schubert told the outlet. The young man is also on the autism spectrum and remains under his mother’s care, as he has been legally determined to be a minor despite reaching the age of adulthood, Schubert added.
The young man claims Ford allegedly began abusing him in 2004 when he was around 10-years-old, the outlet reported, citing the man’s attorney. It allegedly lasted until 2022 or 2023, which was after Ford left the priesthood. The alleged victim reported Ford to the New Orleans Police in November, according to Letitia Peyton, the executive director of TentMakers, an organization that supports victims of clergy molestation. The young man underwent a series of forensic interviews before police obtained an arrest warrant for Ford, Peyton and Schubert said.
Ford was a Catholic priest for 16 years and served as a pastor on Hopi and Navajo Reservations in Arizona for 7 years, according to his biography on the American Indian Center’s website. He was reassigned to New Orleans, where he co-founded a ministry for children with disabilities and their families.
He was appointed to be the Assistant Director of Disability Affairs in 2006 by Democratic Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs in 2008 by Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal, the same biography indicates.
If convicted on the first-degree rape charge, Ford will face mandatory life in prison, according to The Guardian. The other charges also carry lengthy sentences, the outlet reported. (RELATED: ‘Multiple Victims’ In Shooting At LDS Church)
The Louisiana State Police launched an investigation into the Archdiocese of New Orleans, who allegedly shielded predatory priests for decades, The Associated Press reported in May 2024.
The New Orleans Police Department confirmed the charges against Ford but did not comment further due to the sensitivity of sexual assault cases.
Editor’s Note: This piece has been updated with new information from the New Orleans Police Department.