On May 30, 19 people stepped up and filed criminal complaints in the state of San Luis Potosi accusing Eduardo Cordova, a suspended Roman Catholic priest from Mexico, of sexual abuse. The alleged victims also claim that the archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Mexico helped keep the abuse a secret.

The complaints go back a decade and blemish Cordova's time as a priest in the neighborhood of El Paseo. The Church and prosecutors said that Cordova has "disappeared," according to The Associated Press.

AP also reported that on Tuesday, the Vatican suspended Cordova from his priesthood, following an interview on Mexico City's MVS radio with Alberto Athie, former priest and leader of activist group Citizens' Initiative, where he said that Cordova has been involved in piles of sexual abuse cases.

"Cordova had been abusing children and youth for 30 years in all the institutions in which he worked, and we calculate there could be 100 victims," Athie said.

The Mexican Roman Catholic Church has also taken away Cordova's clerical duties and announced an investigation into the molesation of a 16-year-old in 2012. The church reportedly sent evidence to prosecutors.

Meanwhile, archdiocese officials have been encouraging those with something to share to say something for weeks, and Armando Martinez Gomez, who is the Catholic Lawyers College of Mexico president and is speaking for the archdiocese, said that past and present San Luis Potosi archbishops will work with authorities.

Martin Faz, a spokesman for activist group Citizen's Action, however, claims that the archdiocese knew of Cordova's abuse since 2004. He alleges that Cordova abused children between the ages of 13 to 16 years old by winning their trust during confessions and pastoral work.

A billboard was also created by activists with a picture of Cordova and that says, "Were you a victim? Report him."

According to Gomez, Cordova faced similar allegations in 1998, but there was a lack of evidence.
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Follow Scharon Harding on Twitter: @ScharHar.

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