Anyone who believes he may have been a victim of indecent or inappropriate physical contact by Rosa is asked to call state police at Milton at 524-2662.

Anyone with information about Rosa’s whereabouts is also asked to call the police.

Rosa is charged with two counts each of felony indecent assault and endangering the welfare of children; three counts of misdemeanor indecent assault and four counts of corruption of minors.

“We’re very saddened to learn of the allegations,” said Joanne Dietzel, coordinator of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference, which has 16,000 members.

Citing the ongoing criminal investigation, she wouldn’t say when church leaders first learned of the allegations against Rosa.

Before any accusation was levied against Rosa, who is believed to be a native of Puerto Rico, the minister had decided on his own to leave the New Columbia church to oversee two new congregations within the conference, Dietzel said.

Although police said in court documents that Lopez told them Rosa had been asked to resign his position when the allegations came to light, Dietzel said that was not the case.

Rosa apparently disappeared very soon after the sexual misconduct claims arose because Dietzel confirmed that his credentials as a church leader would have been suspended pending an investigation.

-- E-mail comments to mmoore@dailyitem.com

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Rosa reported missing 90 minutes after accusation

8 p.m., May 23: A bishop in the Spanish Mennonite Council of Churches that oversees Congregacion Menonita Shalom Church in New Columbia calls state police at Milton. Reports he received a letter from a boy who wrote that the pastor of that church, the Rev. Jose “Joe” Rosa, had touched him inappropriately.

9:30 p.m., May 23: Rosa’s wife, Maggie, calls state police at Milton to report her husband missing. The minister was last seen around 11 a.m. May 21, walking toward the U.S. Penitentiary at Lewisburg.

Interim: More boys report sexual abuse.