Diocese of Reno removes priest after nude video surfaces on social media

The Diocese of Reno removed a priest from his position at the end of April after a nude video of him surfaced on social media.

In a Tuesday memo, Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg said a "suspicious" social media account and one duplicate account with Father Honesto Agustin's name and likeness revealed a 10-second video of the priest alone and undressed in his home.

Agustin was removed on April 25 after the diocese discovered the video and conducted an investigation, according to the memo.

An independent investigator retained by the diocese with expertise in digital imaging and computer forensics determined that the person in the video was "unquestionably Father Agustin," and it was unlikely AI-generated, the memo said.

The diocese confirmed the removal of Agustin to the RGJ on Wednesday but didn't provide further comment.

The diocese has filed a complaint with law enforcement against the person believed to have created the fake accounts and posted the video, the memo said.

Agustin committed no crimes to the best of the diocese's knowledge, the memo stated. But out of an abundance of caution and in consultation with advisers, Mueggenborg decided to remove Agustin from his duties at St. Albert the Great Parish in Reno.

Mueggenborg also urged Agustin to retire, which he agreed to, according to the memo.

The investigation is expected to be completed in the near future, Mueggenborg said in the memo.

This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal: Diocese of Reno removes priest after nude video surfaces on social media