A former priest, who church officials say was credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor, worked as a school counselor after leaving Chicago

Jesus 'Jesse' Garza left his priest position at the Archdiocese of Chicago in 2000 and went to work in Beloit, Wisconsin, public schools.

Garza claims school district or state officials never questioned him about his background even though in July of 2005 church investigators say they substantiated claims that Garza forced a boy to perform oral sex on him between 10 and 15 times from January to April 1984.

"The people I worked with in Beloit knew I was a priest, they would joke with me about it," said Garza.

For years, Garza has been listed on the archdiocesan website of priest with substantiated sex abuse allegations. Despite the archdiocese naming him as a child sexual abuser, Garza became licensed as a school counselor in 2006 - specializing in Early Childhood-Adolescence.

"I went through all the licensing in the state of Wisconsin. I mean, I honestly I wondered from time to time if anyone would come question me or say something. I've never heard a word, not once. Not once," Garza said.

Garza said there's no reason that he shouldn't have been counseling children.

[ bangs head on table ]

"I don't see why not. I mean, there was nothing illegal, to my knowledge, there was nothing illegal that I had done and I didn't see why I couldn't continue doing what I was trained to do," he said.

"I always denied it," he added.

Garza told the I-Team he left Beloit schools in 2015 and doesn't remember the incident the archdiocese found credible even though the church reached a financial settlement with the victim.

"About the only thing I ever heard someone say was whatever happened, the person involved said it was their fault," Garza said. He told the I-Team the alleged victim was 15 at the time.

Garza says he never told anyone, including school and licensing officials, about what happened in Chicago until he opened up to Chuck Goudie. Beloit Public Schools did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this report.

"I can't imagine something more alarming or irresponsible than that," said Marc Pearlman, attorney for abuse victims.

A Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction spokesman says they use the FBI, the Wisconsin Department of Justice, and national licensing databases to check job candidates. They say now, because of the I-Team's reporting, they will check future job candidates and current license holders against the archdiocesan priest sex abuse accusation list.

The Archdiocese of Chicago claims they've removed 65 priests from ministry after credible sexual misconduct allegations since 1950. While roughly half of those are now dead, who's watching the others? The I-Team found men who left the priesthood after sexual abuse claims now living in suburban communities just like anyone else.

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