Authorities investigating a sharply disputed incident at a talk given at an Illinois Catholic church by Father Carlos Martins have filed a misdemeanor battery charge against the well-known exorcist, relic expert and podcaster, who denies the allegation.

A criminal complaint filed Thursday by the Will County state’s attorney accuses Father Martins of “knowingly without legal justification by any means made physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature with I.K., a minor, in that said defendant placed the hair of I.K. in his mouth.” 

Father Martins’ lawyer, Marcella Burke, called the charge “egregious and unfounded.” The charge carries a penalty of a $100 fine.

“The evidence will show that Fr. Carlos did not ‘floss’ with a student’s hair or ‘growl’ among other completely false and repulsive accusations,” Burke said in a statement to Stella Maris Media, referring to media reports about the incident.

The allegations amount to “a takedown of a good priest and an attempted shakedown of the Church,” Burke said. “We are confident in the legal process and look forward to our client being fully exonerated. We will continue to vigorously defend his rights and reputation.”

The charge stems from an incident that allegedly took place on Nov. 21 while Father Martins, a priest of the Companions of the Cross order known for hosting The Exorcist Files podcast, was meeting with students and school staff at St. Paul Catholic Church in Joliet.

Father Martins was visiting the area as part of his national touring exhibit of a relic of the arm of St. Jude the Apostle.

In a statement given shortly after the incident to CNA, the Register’s sister news agency, Burke said Father Martins simply touched a girl’s hair in front of more than 200 other students while making a joke about his own baldness.

Burke said the interaction took place “in a classroom setting with teachers, clergy, parish staff, and volunteers present.” 

“As he always does, Father Martins began his interaction with the attendees in ‘chit-chat’ dialogue. He is bald and apt to joke about it as a conversation starter,” Burke said in the statement.

“During his conversation with the older students, he made a comment to a student about her long hair, remarking, ‘You and I have almost the same hair style,’ a comment met with giggles. He then remarked that he also once had long hair like hers, and he joked he would ‘floss my teeth with it.’ Again, his comment was meant for a teenage audience and was met with laughter.” 

“He then asked the student, ‘Have you ever flossed with your hair?’” the statement continued. “Laughing, she shook her head, no. He then said, ‘Well, you have the perfect length for it,’ as he lifted up a lock from her shoulders to show her its length. She giggled along with the others.”

When the girl returned home and recounted the story, however, her father “became upset by what he heard and called the police,” Burke said in her November statement.

Soon after the incident the event at the parish was canceled. Joliet Bishop Ronald Hicks also canceled stops of the relic tour at two other parishes in the area, and Father Martins’ order issued a statement saying that it had temporarily suspended the priest pending an investigation.

On Friday, the Companions of the Cross posted an update on its website, saying Father Martins “remains entitled to due process, as is any accused.”

“The Companions of the Cross look upon allegations of misconduct as an urgent matter that requires serious attention,” the statement reads. “We pray for all those who are affected by this painful situation.”