Bogus monk faces child sex molestation charge

A convicted US sex offender who posed as a monk to gain the confidence of his victims was charged in California with molesting another teenage boy.

The San Mateo County district attorney's office said Anthony Thomas Falco was charged with 19 counts of child molestation.

The 73-year-old Falco was arrested last week in Daly City after police received an anonymous tip.

Nearly a decade ago, Falco was convicted of molesting two teenage boys while posing as a Franciscan monk. He admitted molesting one of the boys while they were on a religious pilgrimage to Bosnia.

He was released from prison in 2003.

Falco is being held in San Mateo County Jail on 1.6 million US dollars bail. He is due back in court on March 2 to enter a plea.