A monk at the Wat Lao Xaoput Buddhist Temple in Nashville was arrested today and charged with seven counts of sexual battery by an authority figure and eight counts of displaying sex acts to a minor 13 or older.
Sayasith Sitthipanyo, 57, is alleged to have had unlawful physical contact and viewed pornography with a 15-year-old male between February and May of this year at the temple, 14131 Old Hickory Boulevard, where Sitthipanyo also lives. He began paying the victim last year for work around the temple.
He is being held in lieu of $220,000 bond.