Priest allegedly fathers stripper's child - Fox29 WFLX TV, West Palm Beach, FL-news & weather

By Emily Pantelides - bio | email
Posted by Rachel Leigh - email

MIAMI (WFLX) - Another big South Florida sex scandal: This time it involves a stripper, a Catholic priest and their love child.

David Dueppen, a Roman Catholic priest, is the alleged father of Marilyn Epiphany Hernandez. Marilyn's mom, Beatrice Hernandez, claims she met Father Dueppen seven years ago while she was on the job at a Miami strip club called Porky's. "It was a Sunday. I was on stage, and he walked in," Hernandez stated.

She says Dueppen spent $1,800 on her in the VIP room that night. Soon, they were living together. "I was still married. In fact, he paid for my divorce."

But their strange love story soon turned sour. Hernandez claims Dueppen urged her to exorcise her demons with sex. "We're going to have to go to a place where they can take those evil spirits from you. I said, 'What do you mean?' And he said, 'A swinger's club.'"

In 2005, the two separated. She sued the church and the archdiocese admits they settled the suit reportedly for $100,000.

Hernandez returned to stripping, and Dueppen returned to her.

In April 2008, she became pregnant. She alleges, that first, he denied paternity. Then, he demanded she give up the child for adoption.

Hernandez claims he then turned violent. "I thought he was really going to take my tongue out. He got very violent with me on that, choking me like that."

This week, Beatrice Hernandez will be in court seeking a restraining order against Father Dueppen. Meanwhile, he's on leave.