LOS OSOS — On June 12, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office arrested 61-year-old Theodore Edward Gabrielli of San Diego on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a minor. The arrest follows an extensive investigation launched in August 2024 after the Sheriff’s Office received a report of child abuse dating back more than 30 years.
Detectives with the Special Victims Unit identified three male victims, all under the age of 14 at the time of the alleged assaults. The boys, members of the same family, were living in Mexico when they became acquainted with Gabrielli, a Catholic priest who took them on trips to California, including to his parents’ home in Los Osos. It was there, the victims reported, the abuse occurred over a period of eight years.
Gabrielli has served in various roles in churches and ministries across San Jose, Los Gatos, and Los Angeles. Authorities are encouraging anyone with additional information or who may have been a victim to contact the Sheriff’s Detective Division at (805) 781-4500 or leave an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers at (805) 549-STOP (7867), via the P3 Tips mobile app, or online at slotips.org
The investigation remains ongoing.
