SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A former Catholic priest with a long career in parishes across New Mexico has been arrested on charges of coercing and seducing minors through text messages, federal law says. Enforcement officials announced on Thursday.

The Albuquerque federal prosecutor’s office and the FBI field office have announced that Daniel Barizan, of Springer, New Mexico, has been arrested in connection with a grand jury indictment.

A redacted copy of the indictment accuses 61-year-old Barizan of knowingly attempting to coerce an unnamed minor into having sex in Santa Fe County in August and September 2012.

The charge carries a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison if convicted.

It is unclear whether Balizan has a legal representative. The first court appearance was scheduled for Friday.

A chronology of Mr. Barizan’s church assignments by investigators shows that Mr. Barizan has been serving in the diocese of Santa Maria de la Paz since June 2012. Allocations to date include the parishes of Raton, Albuquerque, Clovis, Chama and Socorro.

In a statement, the Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe said it received allegations of abuse against Balizan in 2022 and immediately reported the information to authorities, leading to Balizan’s dismissal.

Last year, the diocese reached a $121.5 million agreement to settle nearly 400 complaints from people who allege they were abused by Roman Catholic clergy.

In New Mexico, about 74 priests were “certainly accused of sexually assaulting children while they were assigned to parishes and schools,” by the archdiocese that governs central and northern New Mexico. was deemed to be