Christopher Thomas Wenthe
Written by
The Associated Press
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The attorney for a Minnesota Roman Catholic priest accused of sexual misconduct with a woman he was counseling says it was a consensual relationship.
The Rev. Christopher Wenthe of Delano appeared in Ramsey County court Friday. The judge ordered Wenthe to have no contact with the alleged victim.
Wenthe was charged Thursday with third-degree criminal sexual conduct. The complaint says Wenthe had sex with the woman multiple times from 2003 to 2005 while he was a priest at Nativity Catholic Church in St. Paul.
After the hearing, Wenthe's attorney Paul Engh called it "a consensual relationship."
The Star Tribune reports Engh said Wenthe will resign his position with the Delano Catholic Community but doesn't plan to resign from the priesthood.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)