BANGOR, ME – Rev. Adam Metropoulos, former presiding priest of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Bangor, ME was found guilty on four counts of sexual abuse of a minor.
Metropoulos, 52, denied that he had sexually assaulted an altar boy in 2006 and 2007 when the boy was under aged.
The Bangor Daily News has reported that Metropoulos told Superior Court Justice Ann Murray on the second day of his jury-waived trial that he never had sex with the now 23 year-old man. Metropoulos admitted that he touched the victim’s genitals over his pajamas once.
The grown altar server, who now lives in Vermont, testified Monday March 16th that Metropoulos repeatedly sexually assaulted him when he was 15. The man is not being identified by the Bangor Daily News because he is the victim of a sex crime.
Before his trial on four counts of sexual abuse of a minor began, Metropoulos pleaded guilty to one count each of possession of sexually explicit materials, a felony, and violation of privacy, a misdemeanor. There is no plea deal on the charges, Michael Roberts, deputy district attorney for Penobscot County, told Murray.
In finding Metropoulos guilty, Murray said that she found the victim’s testimony more credible than the defendant’s. Metropoulos did not react to the verdict.
Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, via email to TNH from Constantinople, where he is participating in the meetings of the Holy Synod, stated that “upon my return from Constantinople I will convene the spiritual court of the Metropolis to address the case.”
TNH had reported on September 19 that Metropoulos was arrested on September 15, accused of possessing child pornography and photographing a woman without her consent. He was detained at the Penobscot County Jail.
Metropoulos was imprisoned since then, and said that he had received written death threats from strangers and described his relationship with other inmates and guards as “difficult.”
Methodios, who had ordained Metropoulos, placed him immediately on suspension from all Liturgical duties.
On September 13, Bangor police received a complaint from an adult female indicating that she believed she had been videoed without her permission or knowledge. As a result of that complaint, detectives began an investigation that resulted in Metropoulos’ arrest.
The news astonished the small parish of St. George of almost 100 families. TNH had learned that the woman who reported Fr. Metropoulos to the authorities was his wife’s sister, who had come to visit with them that weekend. The woman was staying at Metropoulos’ home and she went to take a shower. While in the shower, she looked across the bathroom and she observed what she believed to be a camera in a basket on a wall. She exited the shower and went and checked on the camera. It was in fact a camera that was recording her in the shower. She confronted Metropoulos and told him that she was going to report him. She provided the Police with the memory card that she took out of the camera. Police detectives spoke to Metropoulos, a search warrant was issued, and the Police searched his home, where they found child pornography material.
A native of Saginaw, MI, Metropoulos moved to Maine in 1990 and began teaching chemistry at Stearns High School in Millinocket, and he attended Services at St. George’s. In 1997 he entered Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. He was ordained into the Holy priesthood and assigned to the St. George parish.
It became known that Fr. Metropoulos had a criminal past. He was convicted of sexual assault in April, 1983 in Saginaw. Apparently, that was the reason he moved to Maine. The Education Department of Maine at that time did not do any background checks; those began in 1999.