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Philippine immigration authorities say they have arrested an American Roman Catholic priest accused of se*ually as*aulting altar boys in a remote central town in a case one official described as shocking and appalling. Bureau of Immigration spokeswoman Dana Sandoval said Thursday the Rev Kenneth Bernard Hendricks, who has been indicted in Ohio for alleged illicit se*ual conduct in the Philippines, was arrested in a church in Naval town on the island province of Biliran. An Ohio court had issued a warrant for the arrest of 77-year-old Hendricks, who has been living in the Philippines for 37 years, Ms. Sandoval said, adding that the US criminal case stemmed from complaints from Filipino minors who were allegedly victimised in the There was no immediate reaction from the US embas*y, Philippine Catholic church officials or Hendricks, who was flown to Manila and The suspect allegedly abused seven victims, who served mostly as altar boys in Naval, in 50 counts of molestation in his residence in a case ``The victims were in his house and the abuses were committed while he was taking a bath with each of them,'' Sandoval said by telephone. US authorities provided information about the alleged se*ual as*aults to the Philippine government, she said. The victims were reportedly warned they would be locked up in jail if they told anyone about the abuses, she said. Several of his victims have come forward with their statements,'' Sandoval said. The US Embas*y may revoke Hendrick's pas*port to help Philippine authorities immediately deport the priest, the immigration bureau said Hendricks is a fugitive from justice that poses a risk to public safety and security,'' Sandoval said. We will not allow se*ual predators to prey on our children. People like him must be kicked out and banned from the Philippines.'' Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly lashed out at the dominant Catholic church and its priests over such abuses, saying he himself along with other students were se*ually molested by an American priest in their high school days.