Ex-priest gets prison sentence on sex charge

Clarification

Roy Joe Givens, who was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in state prison for indecency with a child, is a self-proclaimed Greek Orthodox bishop, according to court officials. His role was not precisely explained in a Borderland article on May 21.

A former Greek Orthodox priest who worked in El Paso was sentenced to 10 years in state prison Tuesday, the day after being convicted of indecency with a child.

The sentence for Roy Joe Givens, which includes a $10,000 fine, was announced after about four hours of deliberations by a 12-member jury in the 346th District Court.

Givens, 67, also known as Bishop or Father Mathias, was arrested in January in Springfield, Ill., and extradited to El Paso and jailed in lieu of a $500,000 bond to face trial on charges that had been pending for about a decade.

He was accused of sexual misconduct with a then-15-year-old girl while working as a priest at a now-defunct church he established.

Authorities said the trial originally set for February 1994 was delayed because Givens fled the area.

His victim, whose identity is being withheld because she is a molestation victim, testified she wanted Givens to serve time in prison.

“I would want him to go away to pay for what he has done. I feel like he has had 10 years of probation,” said the victim, now 29.

Givens’ family declined to comment. During the hearing, his daughter testified to his innocence.

Tammy Fonce-Olivas may be reached at tfonceelpasotimes.com