Priest sentenced to eight years for rape and false imprisonment of aspiring seminarian

A priest has been convicted in a second-instance trial for the crimes of rape and false imprisonment for libidinous purposes. The defendant, Father Marcos Aurélio Costa da Silva, was sentenced to eight years in prison, to be served initially under a semi-open regime.

The victim was an 18-year-old man from Pernambuco who aspired to join the priesthood. The priest used the promise of a vocational recommendation letter to lure the young man to Palmas, the capital of Tocantins state.

Crimes and Conviction

Marcos Aurélio Costa da Silva was convicted for crimes committed in 2019. The decision was handed down by the Court of Justice of Tocantins (TJTO), overturning a first-instance verdict that had acquitted him due to doubts over the authorship of the crimes.

The prosecution's appeal was successful, with the court basing its conviction on the veracity of the victim's account, corroborated by technical reports, psychological impacts, testimonies, and the defendant's history of similar conduct.

The sentence imposed was eight years in prison. However, the reporting judge, Ângela Haonat, granted the defendant the right to appeal while at liberty. His defence has filed an "embargos infringentes" appeal due to a dissenting vote during the judgement, meaning the final decision is still pending.

Modus Operandi and Captivity

Investigations revealed that the priest convinced the victim to travel to Palmas under the pretence that the recommendation letter would only be valid if signed in person. Prior to the meeting, in virtual conversations accessed by police, the priest asked the young man for shirtless photos, claiming he needed to "see if I have to buy something to balance your diet".

He also demanded massages and informed the victim they would share a room in Palmas so he could get used to the "missionary life", stating he slept "very freely".

The false imprisonment began on 22 August 2019. The victim reported that on the first night, the priest tried to get him drunk and then forced sexual relations while he was held in the apartment.

The young man was held captive for approximately five days. He only managed to escape when the priest forgot the key in the door. After fleeing, he went to a police station. Officers reported he was on foot, without documents, and in a visible state of fear and emotional fragility when reporting the crimes.

Defendant's History and Status

This is the second criminal record involving the defendant. In 2015, Marcos Aurélio was arrested in flagrante in Gurupi, Tocantins, on suspicion of showing pornography to a 16-year-old adolescent. Investigators stated he posed as a woman on social media to try to convince the teenager to meet him, with conversations containing pornographic content.

At the time, he was charged with conduct related to the dissemination of material and grooming of minors, crimes for which bail was not applicable at the police stage.

According to the Diocese of Porto Nacional, to which he belonged, the priest was suspended in 2018 and ceased his ecclesiastical functions. g1 sought information from the Diocese regarding his current status but received no response by the latest update of this report.

Legal Proceedings and Context

The defence of Marcos Aurélio informed g1 by telephone that the "embargos infringentes" appeal had been filed. This type of appeal is applicable when there is a dissenting vote in a collegiate court decision, as occurred in this case.

The state of Tocantins has recorded a high number of sexual violence cases. According to official data referenced by g1, the state registered over 900 cases of rape of vulnerable persons in 2024 alone.