PHOENIX — A priest has been removed from the ministry after he allegedly used a social media app to send "inappropriate images of a sexual nature" to a minor, according to a statement from the Diocese of Phoenix.
Fr. Timothy Seavey, a priest of the Diocese of Phoenix, reportedly sent the images to an individual who identified as an adult on the app but was later determined to be a minor.
The Mesa Police Department said in a statement that it received a report on April 27 of a 17-year-old boy who said he received nude photos from a 31-year-old man.
The boy said he recognized the man as the Seton Catholic Preparatory High School chaplain, Timothy Seavey.
The photos were allegedly sent a few days earlier on a common social media dating app, police said.
The 17-year-old told police that his own profile on the app indicated he was an 18-year-old at the time the photos were received.
Mesa police said the investigation is active, but no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed as of Wednesday.
There are no other known investigations involving Seavey, police added.
Seavey had served the Queen of Peace Parish in Mesa since 2017 and has been chaplain at Seton Catholic Preparatory since 2018.
The Diocese of Phoenix said in a statement that it is cooperating with the Mesa Police Department.
The Diocese's statement said it takes accusations of sexual misconduct seriously, and anyone who has been a victim of abuse is urged to report it to law enforcement.
The Mesa Police Department also said victims could report any sexual offenses at 480-644-2211.
For information about support services for those who have been abused, please contact the Office of Child and Youth Protection at (602) 354-2396 or dphx.org/youth-protection.