Miami Herald
By Elaine De Valle
edevalle@herald.com

Saying it was part of a ”ritual cleansing,” a Santeria priest told a 17-year-old to drop his pants, then performed sex acts on him, Hialeah Police said Monday.

Police arrested Fernando De Morales, 60, on Saturday and charged him with sexual battery. De Morales bonded out Sunday. He could not be reached for comment Monday.

The teen, his father and two sisters visited De Morales’ home, at 853 E. 32nd St., on Saturday for him to perform a Santeria ritual, said Frank Gonzalez, a Hialeah Police spokesman.

De Morales told the father that, as part of the ritual, the father had to drop an item into the ocean.

Once the father left, De Morales took the boy to a utility shed to perform the ”ritual cleansing,” Gonzalez said.

”Once they were alone, De Morales performed [sex acts] on the boy,” he said.

Although De Morales told the teen not to mention the contact to his family, Gonzalez said, the boy told his sister, who told their father.

Detectives want to know if anyone else had a similar experience and urge people to call the Hialeah Police Department at 305-687-2525 or Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

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