Dallas police searched the headquarters of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas and other properties Wednesday as part of the church's widening sex abuse scandal, police and church officials said.

In a search warrant affidavit, a police investigator said the diocese had failed to reveal a full picture of sexual abuse allegations against a handful of its priests and, in some instances, handed over to authorities incomplete records on the accused.

"Despite assurances from the Diocese's attorneys the priests' files were complete and accurate, I also detailed specific examples where those files were not complete and accurate," Dallas police detective David Clark wrote in the affidavit, adding that efforts to obtain files about sex abuse claimants were "thwarted" by church officials.

Maj. Max Geron of the special investigations division said Wednesday's raids were related to allegations of sexual abuse that emerged after police issued an arrest warrant for a priest named Edmundo Paredes, who was previously assigned to St. Cecilia's Parish in Dallas. Authorities said they consider Paredes a fugitive.