Man Accused Of Battery In Exorcism Attempt Surrenders

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A man accused of beating an autistic teen during an exorcism attempt turned himself in to the Monroe County Sheriff's Department on Wednesday, the department said.

Edward Uyesugi II, 22, of Paoli, was arrested on charges of confinement and battery with bodily injury.

Police said Uyesugi hurt a 14-year-old boy while ostensibly trying to cast demons from him at the teen's Bloomington home in May. Authorities said Uyesugi, who was then an usher at the Cherry Hill Christian Center, told the boy's family an exorcism could cure the teenager of his autism.

A Monroe County sheriff's detective said Uyesugi forced the boy down, punched him in the face several times and put his fingers in the boy's throat, causing him to vomit.

The boy's family contacted the church, which the family also attended, and its minister notified authorities of the incident.

On Wednesday, the church's pastor released the following statement: "We emphatically denounce the method, manner and mentality of this unauthorized and unsupervised exorcism attempted by this young man."