Records state that Reynolds, former pastor of Magnolia Holiness Church, stopped on the roadside when taking the girl home, saying he had to use the restroom. He then told the girl to remove her underwear and attempted to have sexual intercourse with her, she reports.
Reynolds was dismissed from his post when the congregation learned of the charge. Reynold's attorney said the minister would plead innocent at the arraignment in Oct. Source: Birmingham Post-Herald 9/11/95
Cumbie has been charged with 2 counts of 2nd degree sodomy and 1 count of 2nd degree sexual assault.
Cumbie was also arrested earlier the same month on charges of 2nd degree sodomy and 2nd degree sexual abuse and was freed on bond. Source: Birmingham News 5/28/95
Melissa Knight and Jayne R. Brown came forward in '93 with claims that Rev. Thomas Warmer molested them at the church in 1968 when they were teenagers.
Warmer, who is now senior minister at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Coronado, has maintained his innocence. Source: NewsHound@sjmercury.com 10/4/95
One man, now 28, said he was abused "on multiple occasions" between ages 12-14 by Keegan in Santa Rosa. He will receive $450,000 of the settlement. The other man reports he was molested by O'Shea at Lake Berryessa when he was 12. He will receive $51,000 and $5,000 for therapy. Civil suits were brought against O'Shea and Keegan.
A San Francisco Municipal Court judge dismissed felony child abuse charges against O'Shea in July because the statute of limitations had expired. O'Shea pleaded innocent to charges that he sexually abused 9 boys between 1960-80.
Keegan remains free in Mexico and has been stripped of his priestly authority. Civil litigation continues against Gary Timmons of Santa Rosa, a 3rd priest named in the civil suit. Source: San Francisco Chronicle 8/10/95
Fredette, 62, has been sentenced to serve 4-5 years in prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting the former teenage resident of the Come Alive halfway house for troubled boys. A superior court jury convicted Fredette on 3 counts of committing an unnatural act on Gary Melanson. The jury acquitted Fredette of molesting a 2nd teenager. He has already served 13 months in prison awaiting trial and has received 3 concurrent sentences. Fredette will be eligible for parole in March '97.
Gary Melanson told the jury he was under the influence of LSD when the priest first attacked him. He also gave emotional testimony of how Fredette raped him as often as twice a week. Melanson said the incidents stopped at age 20 when he confronted Fredette while on a trip to New Hampshire.
He said he did not report the incidents because he was afraid he would be sent to an institution with tighter security. Sources: Hartford Courant 7/8/95; Union-News (Springfield, MA) 7/13/95
Chapman faced a similar accusation in New York in '77. He was charged with having sexual contact with a child under 17, acting to harm a child and endangering the welfare of a child. Chapman pleaded guilty in the case to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct, but was not placed on probation nor did he serve any time in jail.
At the time of the newly alleged assaults, Chapman was on probation for molesting a girl, 8, in Milton, NY in '94. As part of a plea bargain in that case, he was placed on probation, ordered to stay away from children and to receive professional treatment for sex offenders.
A woman who lives in the building across the street from Chapman said neighbors are concerned about the charges. "It was upsetting to people to find out he's been charged before. People in the court system are aware of this, but people in the neighborhood were not." Source: The Patriot Ledger 8/9/95
The boy states Arthur Bendixen, 44, began abusing him in '82 at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Altamonte Springs. The suit chronicles a 12 year relationship between Bendixen and the victim, the son of devout Catholics. It accuses Bendixen of using his position to formulate a "special relationship" with the teenager. Incidents reportedly began with Bendixen massaging the boy's neck and back and progressed into sexual acts.
The suit states that "The [man] looked upon Bendixen as a 'holy presence,' he felt obligated to comply with his requests . . . and was unable to either get out of the relationship or report the relationship.
Sheldon Stevens, prosecuting attorney, said he would appeal. He contends the church should not get such 1st Amendment protection, charging that the church ignored warning signs that Bendixen was a pedophile.
Prowell nixed the lawsuit in May, ruling the statue of limitations barred consideration of any allegations before February 1991.
Bendixen allegedly introduced marijuana and alcohol and sleeping with the teenager in his rectory bed.
The priest was also the target of allegations by 3 other people who said he sexually abused them. However, a "resolution" was reached in December '94.
Diocese officials said in February that Bendixen, was suspended 1 year ago after an internal investigation, based on allegations of sexual misconduct, was conducted. He has since been prohibited from performing priestly duties. Source: The Orlando Sentinel 9/20/95; 5/23/95; 2/15/95
In the civil suit, Pagni was named by a family who alleges he violated two brothers while counseling them during the late 80s and early 90s. The suit asks for unspecfied damages and alleges the Catholic church knew Pagni had a sexual problem with children and still paid for his education as a youth counselor.
Pagni's defense is "that essentially no sexual activity took place," said his attorney, Robert Pope of St. Petersburg. Source: The Orlando Sentinel 9/9/95; 6/10/95
Diocese Settles Suit In Exchange For Omission Orange Circuit Court Judge Linda Gloeckner threw out a molestation lawsuit against retired Catholic priest Lawrence P. Redmond, 58, agreeing with defense attorney Thomas Granahan who argued the statute of limitations had expired.
In the previous week, the Orlando Diocese announced it had reached an out-of-court settlement with the man that removed the diocese from the case.
The man says Redmond, pastor of Prince of Peace Catholic Church since 1987, fondled and masturbated him several times in a St. Augustine cabin in 1980 when he was 15.
In May, a brother of the plaintiff told the media that he and his two brothers were abused by Redmond from the late 70s to early 80s while they were teenagers. The abuse was in St. Augustine, Ormond Beach and at Saint Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Goldenrod, where Redmond was pastor until 1976, he said.
The suit was the 3rd filed against Redmond and the diocese since February. Former Chancellor Arthur Bendixen and Thomas Pagni III were named in the prior lawsuits. Source: The Orlando Sentinel 9/29/95, 9/25/95, 5/18/95
Records show Melancon was accused of sexual harassment in a separate case 2 years ago by a parishioner of St. Genevieve Catholic Church in Thibodaux, where Melancon served as a priest in the 70s. The diocese settled with the parishioner for $30,000 in '93. Source: The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA) 6/17/95
Schaefer pleaded guilty to 4 counts of child abuse involving 4 boys. Smith pleaded guilty to molesting the boy between 1975-78, and to molesting an altar boy at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Takoma Park between 1982-87. Smith also entered Alford pleas on charges involving 2 other complainants, meaning he acknowledged there was evidence to prove he committed the crimes.
Allegations include fondling young boys in the rectory and forcing them to engage in manual masturbation and oral sodomy.
Schaefer's guilty pleas also included the molestation of 3 boys between 1978-82 at St. John the Evangelist Church in Clinton. He has also been charged with abusing a youth from the Sacred Heart Parish in Bushwood around 1970. Prosecutors said that Schaefer's relationship with that boy continued after Schaefer went to St. Matthias in '72.
Two more St. Matthias priests are charged with child abuse. Rev. Edward B. Pritchard, 51, is charged with molesting 3 boys at the church and Edward T. Hartel, 59, is accused of orally sodomizing the former St. Matthias altar boy. Both men are scheduled for trial later this year. Source: The Washington Post 8/5/95, 2/16/95, 2/9/95
Authorities say the patient, 32, met Lott during a stay at the city-run psychiatric hospital in '92 and corresponded in writing after the man was moved to Lorton. Lott has worked at St. Elizabeth's since '72.
The victim reported that Lott gave him a gold wedding ring just before Christmas along with a letter containing words resembling marriage vows. He also told police that Lott had locked the doors to the hospital's conference room and chapel during visits with the man in the fall and engaged in sex. Lott reportedly gave the patient a container supposedly filled with Lott's semen on Dec. 23 and urged him to rub the contents on his body. The victim turned the container, letter and ring over to police when he reported the crimes in January.
Authorities say Lott used his leverage against the man, telling him that he had the power to send him back to Lorton. Lott was released on personal recognizance. Source: The Washington Post 8/12/95
Barry William Katzer, 32, is charged with a 2nd degree sex offense involving an underage victim, possession of child pornography and unnatural and perverted sex acts. He was held in lieu of $50,000 bond.
Katzer was arrested after an anonymous caller asked police to check on the welfare of a boy who was with Katzer at a motel. Police found pornographic magazines and tapes in the room.
Katzer gave officers a business card that identified him as the pastor of the Butler-Richland Seventh-Day Adventist Church pastor. Adventist officials told police that Katzer was not a pastor but was studying to become one. The Springfield, VA, youth had corresponded with Katzer on the Internet for 4 weeks before Katzer came to meet him. The two travelled to Charlottesville, VA, then returned to Rockville to meet another person who was not identified.
"He (the boy) told his mother that he was going camping with friends and that he needed to be dropped off at this church parking lot. The mother took him there, and he apparently just sent his mother on her way," said Montgomery County police spokeswoman Ann Evans. Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 8/28/95
Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Vincent E. Ferretti Jr. suspended consecutive sentences of 10 years each for the 2 counts of child abuse. If, after his jail sentence is served, Miles violates the terms of his probation, he could be ordered to serve the 20-year suspended prison sentence.
Miles, the pastor of North Bethesda United Methodist Church, began molesting Scott Bisset when he was a Boy Scout whose troop met at the church. Miles met Bisset, then 11, while helping with a merit badge program.
Police report that Miles, whose preaching credentials have been revoked, initially denied the allegations but later wrote a letter to Bisset admitting the abuse.
In the letter to Bisset, Miles wrote that the abuse occurred during "a dark period of my life . . . when I was struggling with my own sexuality."
"Can you even begin to imagine the guilt, shame . . . and fear, the emotional and physical turmoil I have suffered through for 20 years now?" Bisset said to the judge before sentencing Miles. "My scars are permanent." Source: Washington Post 7/20/95
Alexander Delgado, 28, a 6th-year student at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn., is charged with raping the woman, 26, during a walk at the Cathedral camp and Retreat Center in Freetown.
Police said Delgado asked the woman, whom he'd met at her New Bedford church, to walk with him after she sought him out for counseling on a personal problem.
Delgado, who had been working at the camp for the summer, was arrested the next day. Bail was set at $25,000 and he was sent to Bristol County Jail after arraignment. Source: Providence Journal (Rhode Island) 8/26/95
The Diocese of Western Massachusetts announced that James H. Clark, 69, may no longer function in any capacity as an Episcopal priest. In a statement from the Diocese, Clark admitted to the allegations and waived his right to a church trial.
Complainants said he would touch them inappropriately or use sexually charged language that could be abusive or harassing. The women also said that they had complained to the Bishop's office about Clark's behavior before, but were not taken seriously. Last October, 5 women complained to then-Bishop Denig that Clark had sexually harassed them over a number of years. A dozen women stepped forward at that time to say that they also had similar complaints.
Clark retired as rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Amherst in '94 after 33 years. Source: Hartford Courant 7/21/95
Robinson, 18, was arrested for open murder after police received a tip from a witness. In his written statement to police, Robinson claims that Clark told him his name was "Mike" and first solicited sex from him in April '95. The men continued to met for the next few months. He wrote that he met Clark on July 31 to call off the relationship. Robinson admitted he pulled a gun when Clark grabbed him sexually and the gun went off during the struggle. The young man also wrote that Clark would pay him $100 to perform oral sex. Robinson contends that he did not know that Clark was a priest and "told everyone that I sold drugs to him because I didn't want anyone to know that I was letting him perform oral sex on me. I didn't want anyone to think I was gay."
Clark was the first African-American priest to be ordained in the Detroit archdiocese since 1926. He was ordained in '64 and was the pastor of St. Augustine/St. Monica Parish.
Police learned the identity of Clark when his fingerprints were matched to those in a police file from '74. Clark had been arrested for "accosting and soliciting" a male undercover Detroit police officer. When police discovered the man was a priest, the charge was dropped and the file marked void. Church officials never knew of the arrest.
Robinson's trial was set to begin Aug. 25. Source: The Detroit News 8/13/95
Sexual contact was alleged to have occurred while the teen was asleep. The first incident occurred in Lucht's home in June '93. The boy awoke to find his pants unzipped and Lucht's hands beneath his underwear. The second incident occurred a month later in a cabin on Goodrich Lake. The teen said he punched the pastor after awaking to find him touching him sexually again. The teen was a student at the Barnum school and mowed the church's lawn.
Reports say Lucht befriended the boy, who was from a broken home, and, on several occasions, invited him to stay at his home. Court documents show Lucht established a bank account for the victim, bought him gifts and acted as a "surrogate father." Source: Duluth News-Tribune 8/1/95
The Appeal Court said Reeb admitted engaging in mutual masturbation with complainant David Samarzia, now 41, between 1967-69, beginning when Samarzia was 13. The court ruled that Samarzia's claim was not too old because his problems could not be properly treated until 1990 when he first told a psychotherapist about the abuse.
The lawsuit was the 1st of 4 abuse cases against Reeb and the church to go to trial. Source: Duluth News-Tribune 5/23/95
Isely testified of being sexually abused by 3 Capuchin priests while living with members of the Catholic order in Detroit in 1978. Isely became ill and was bedridden for 3 days.
He testified that, during that time, an older student and Rev. Jim Wolf, who was then the pastor of Detroit St. John Evangelist Church, sexually abused him in his bed. Isely claims Wolf fondled and performed fellatio on him. The lawsuit also claims Jim Buser and Gale Leifeld abused him during the 70s, from age 13-17 when he attended St. Lawrence Seminary in Fond du Lac, Wis.
The suit is the 1st of 10 civil lawsuits in Michigan and Wisconsin that have been filed. The Capuchins have admitted there was abuse, but not against Isely.
Isely told jurors that Buser, the freshman counselor, often would wake him at night and call him to his office or bedroom where the priest would ask him sexual questions, fondle him and expose himself.
"He said he liked me because I was like a girl," Isely said. "I didn't have much body hair."
Isely also told jurors that Leifeld, who was the school's principal, molested him during his sophomore year. He said he once discovered his twin brother, who was also a student, with Leifeld in an office. The priest pulled down Isely's pants and whispered that he was going to sodomize him, Isely said.
He said did not remember this abuse until late '92; the suit was filed in Oct. '93. A law provision says a civil lawsuit over sexual abuse is valid if filed within 1 year of recollection. The jury didn't believe Isely's memory returned when he said it did.
A capuchin priest testified on Isely's behalf that he, too, was abused when he was a student at the school at the same time. The priest said he thinks he also might have repressed the memory. Source:Detroit Free Press 3/29/95; 2/14/95
Lamberson, former pastor and principal of Liberty Heights Free Will Baptist Church and academy, was charged with molesting a girl on 2 occasions, December '91 and March '92, beginning when she was 14. Source: Tulsa World 5/27/95
Court testimony stated that the victim, 20, had sought counseling from Humphrey because she had been abused as a child by her babysitter's husband and at an older age by her mother's boyfriend.
The jury recommended Humphrey's jail term be set at 30 days, and a fine, not to exceed $500, to be assessed at a later date by the court. A $1,000 cash bond was set.
Humphey was hired in the spring of '93 to be a counselor with the Plato School District and is currently serving as acting principal of an unidentified school. Source: Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune (no date)
Bland was placed on a work-release program that will allow the minister to continue to work at the local Christian Brothers headquarters in Glencoe, and spend nights in a county jail facility.
The judge received a letter from the father of 5 sons, ages 5-18, who said they were molested by Bland. The letter claimed that the younger children are too frightened to return to school and are being taught at home by their father.
"I can't go to my regular job because I'm at home taking care of my children," the father wrote. But Bland "can leave jail and return to work, is that justice?" Source: Post-Dispatch (St. Louis) 4/25/95
Court records show that Schwaegel was arrested in '87 for felony attempted sexual misconduct at a highway rest area in St. Louis County. He pleaded guilty and was given 1 year probation. A year later he rose to Monsignor a year later at St. Peter's Cathedral.
He was arrested in '93 for sexual misconduct after offering sex to an undercover officer at another rest stop, said Detective Ed Vitt.
The Belleville Diocese has removed 11 priests in the past 2 years from their ministries because of sexual misconduct allegations. Schwaegel was not among them. Schwaegel's action involved adults, and the allegations against the other priests involved abuse of minors or young adults. Source: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch 12/8/94
The conviction stems from photographs of Crawford sexually abusing his daughter, which police found in his home. The photos were discovered while police were carrying out a search warrant issued as part of the investigation into the rape of the learning-disabled woman, who was the daughter of a friend.
Crawford was convicted last year of raping and sodomizing the woman, 21, and was sentenced to 8-16 years in prison. During his court appearance on that charge, he was arrested on the charges involving his daughter.
The girl said that she had been abused from age 9 until 14. Crawford, former minister of Bethesda Temple Church, pleaded guilty to attempting to sexually abuse 2 of his other daughters, then 13 and 14. He was sentenced to 5 years probation. He faces 7 1/2 to 15 years for the count of using his daughter in a sexual performance. Source: Newsday 8/19/95
A woman, 30, reported to police that the Roman Catholic priest attacked her while she was working in the rectory at Sacred heart Church on Staten Island.
Fernando arrived in theU.S. in February from Bombay for a 1 year sabbatical. Source: Spokesman 5/6/95
Bazalar, 45, was convicted in '93 on 4 of 6 charges of molesting an altar boy in '91. He was sentenced to 5-15 years in prison, but won an appeal in January. The appeal was based on the fact that parishioners were forbidden by the original trial judge to refute testimony given by Rev. Daniel Croston, who testified that Bazalar confessed to him in Spanish that he sodomized the boy in the church.
The priest was recently retried for 1st degree sodomy (which implies that force was used), 3rd-degree sodomy, endangering the welfare of a child, and 3 counts of sexual abuse. Both sodomy charges are felonies. He was found innocent of 1st degree sodomy and the 3 counts of sexual abuse. The jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision on the 2 remaining charges. Croston's testimony was read to jurors; he died of lung cancer in '94. Four parishioners testified that Croston was not fluent in Spanish.
Bazalar could still be convicted on the 3rd degree sodomy charge and the charge of endangering the welfare of a child in a possible 3rd trial. The maximum sentence for the charges is 4 years, Bazalar most likely would not be sent to prison because he has already served 3 years awaiting trial.
"I feel so thankful to God, because he had to show the people from my innocence." Bazalar said to a crowd of supporters when he was released on his own recognizance after his first trial. Bazalar's attorney said, with his arms around his client, "The boy should move on with his life." Source: The Times Herald Record (Middleton, NY) 8/5/95, 8/6/95, 7/22/95, 1/6/95
William Euel Riley, 79, was arrested when police were notified by the children's mother that he may have been trying to flee the state. A Tulsa police detective said that Riley was watching the girls at their home the night prior to taking them to church with him.
The girl, 5, told her mother the following day that Riley attacked her twice in her home and that her sister was invited to participate in sex acts. Source: Tulsa World 3/29/95
Seven students testified Webber, former teacher of the year, counselor and church deacon, assaulted and molested them from 1990-93 in his classroom, house and car.
The jury returned guilty counts against Webber of: One count each of 1st-degree rape, sexually abusing a minor child and attempted 1st-degree rape; 11 counts of lewd molestation and 6 counts of forcible sodomy; 2 counts each of sodomy and attempted lewd molestation; and 1 count of sexual battery. The potential maximum sentences of the counts add up to 3 life sentences plus 385 years. Webber was booked into the Tulsa Jail.
Webber said the seven former and current students, who came forward during the trial with allegations of sexual abuse, are lying. Source: Tulsa World 6/17/95; 6/16/95
Dorsch was a friend of the boy's parents. The boy, 10, said Dorsch invited him to the park to play basketball, swim and golf. The victim initially told his father of the incident where the priest allegedly kissed his neck and fondled him, later he told his pediatrician, who reported the allegations to Youth Services.
Prosecutors attempted to present evidence related to a 2nd victim, who claims that Dorsch engaged in similar conduct with him over a 3 year period 12 years ago. He reported the assaults to police after he read about Dorsch's arrest in the newspapers. Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 4/25/95
John Mark Nadeau, 44, allegedly assaulted the boy during "one-on-one" study sessions. Nadeau turned himself in after a child abuse prosecution unit began investigating the alleged assaults. He waived a preliminary hearing and was freed on $10,000 cash bail.
Nadeau faces a maximum penalty of 20-40 years in prison if convicted. Each charge of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse carries a maximum penalty of 10-20 years, said a detective from East Lampeter. Source: New Era (Lancaster) 8/9/95
Iinvestigators said they believe a hit man, who posed as a deliveryman, killed the woman. Police said the same deliveryman had come to the house 2 weeks prior, handed Carol an envelope--which turned out to be empty--and asked to use the Neulander's bathroom. During both appearances Carol was on the telephone with her daughter. The night of the murder, Rabbi Neulander was at the synagogue and returned to find his wife's body.
A possible motive for Neulander to have his wife killed became evident after prominent Philadelphia radio host Elaine Soncini acknowledged that she had a 2-year affair with the rabbi.
In a news conference, Soncini said she acknowledged the affair only because her name was about to be made public. Investigators say they believe Neulander, founder of Temple M'Kor Shalom, was involved with at least one other woman during the same period.
Neulander resigned from his post in February when investigators found evidence that he was having extramarital affairs with 2 members of his congregation.
The rabbi has acknowledged "indiscretions" but has not publicly admitted adultery, said Neulander's attorney. Source: The Washington Post 8/31/95
There is no statute of limitations on 1st degree sexual assault, a crime that carries a maximum life sentence. Source: Hartford Courant 8/1/95
The victim, Russell Cote, told prosecutors that he didn't care if Silva served time in jail as long as the priest would admit his guilt. Silva was suspended from his duties by the Providence Diocese. Source: Hartford Courant 3/17/95
Father Desrosiers pleaded not guilty to charges filed by the victim in '94. He was released on $450,000 bail. The rape charge is punishable by life in prison.
The woman said, "the words were like knives," when Desrosiers pleaded not guilty.
In the lawsuit, which is still pending in Superior Court, the woman accuses the priest of inviting her into his rectory apartment, where he "plied" her with liquor and had intercourse with her. It also alleged that the assaults occurred as often as 4 times a week.
The suit states that when the girl objected to the priest's advances, he told her it was his responsibility to teach her about sex, and "he would only be able to continue to serve the people of God as a result of her being in his life."
Desrosiers was suspended by the Diocese of Providence in '93, when he was pastor of Our Lady of Victories Church.
A Diocese spokesman said that the woman filed the lawsuit after the diocese rejected her request that it pay for her and her 2 children to attend college. He said the diocese has paid for some of the woman's psychological counseling, but stopped payments after her request.
Desrosiers is the target of another pending lawsuit, filed by another St. Joan female parishioner, which alleges Desrosiers sexually assaulted her. Source: Providence Journal 9/145/95
The Kansas minister was indicted in San Antonio in June on charges of laundering $350,000 which federal agents led him believe came from a Columbian drug cartel. The indictment charges that Brace told undercover agents he was willing to launder $10 million through the church's accounts. Two men, both from Texas, were also charged.
Roy Clarkton, a codefendant, pleaded guilty to money laundering and faces a possible fine of $500,000 and up to 20 years in prison.
Brace pleaded innocent to the federal charge and was released on $25,000 bail. Four days after his arrest in an sting operation, he resigned as pastor of the Faith Metro Church. He has since returned to his pulpit, and vowed to repay $10 million in debts the church owes.
In a statement Brace read to his parish after his arrest, he said, "I foolishly thought that I could take money from evil people and use it for good, and even if they killed me . . . well, at least the people who had bought bonds and loaned us their money would be taken care of." Source: San Antonio Express-News 8/1/95; The Witchita Eagle 9/4/95
No information about the additional complainants has been given. The original complainant, now 50, said the abuse began during a Boy Scout campout when he was 12, and lasted more than a year. He said he didn't report the incidents because he thought it might jeopardize his position as an altar boy. After he was abused in a pew of the church, he left and gave up his dream of being a priest, the victim said. Source: San Antonio Express-News 7/8/95
Four teenage students told police Lozano fondled their genitals on several occasions in '93. One reported having oral sex with the priest. At the time of the incidents, 2 of the students were 16 and the other 2 were 17 years old.
The judge sentenced Lozano to 30 days in jail. He will be placed on deferred adjudication--a form of probation--for 10 years, after his sentence is served. Lozano was given a $1,000 fine and must undergo counseling while under intense supervision. If Lozano does not violate his probation for 1/3 of the 10 years, his conviction will be erased and will not have to continue to be registered as a known sex offender. Source: San Antonio Express-News 6/30/95, 7/7/95
The new plaintiffs bring the number of alleged victims to 10 and have been consolidated into one case. Plaintiffs say the former priest molested boys between 1977-92. They contend the church knew about the sexual abuse and were negligent to allow Kos to be around children.
Kos was suspended from the priesthood in December '93. Source: San Antonio Express-News 7/2/95
The Roman Catholic priest reportedly fled to Spain after he was accused of drugging and molesting 4 children and a man.
The victim, 14, alleges Garcia gave him drug-laced milk and molested him during an overnight stay at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church rectory in '91. The Mathis teenager told his parents of the assault in '94. The boy's father said that he had been drugged and assaulted twice when he accompanied the priest in '94 on a trip to Rome. The man said he tried not to believe the abuse hapened, but realized the truth when his son told him of his experience.
The 5 complainants and their families are suing Garcia, Bishop Rene Gracida and the Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi, alleging the young men suffered physical and emotional damage because of the assaults. The suit alleges the church and diocese were negligent because they allowed Garcia to act as a priest even though there was reason to suspect he was a pedophile.
One man, 22, said he was drugged, fondled and raped by Garcia in '93 while being counseled about his plans to become a priest. He said he told Bishop Gracida about the incident and was assured that something would be done. But later, when the victim was a seminary student, he saw Garcia's name scheduled to speak to the student body about morality. He man left the seminary and began undergoing psychiatric therapy.
The accusations place the families against their district attorney, their church and Bishop Rene H. Gracida, one of the country's most powerful clergymen. The Corpus Christi diocese is one of the richest dioceses in the nation with $80 million oil and gas rights of the 400,000-acre Kennedy Ranch firmly under the control of Gracida. The bishop also controls his own telecommunications center and television station. He has a hunting resort on the ranch, a mansion on Ocean Drive and a diocese that stretches from Corpus Christi south to Brownsville.
A temporary restraining order was secured, in April, against Gracida, the Corpus Christi diocese, San Antonio Archbishop Patrick Flores and the San Antonio diocese from aiding Garcia in leaving the U.S. or Texas without giving the court 72 hours notice.
"We think Father Garcia is gone," said Adela Olivarez, wife and mother of 2 victims.
"But, wherever he is, he's doing the same thing to some boy there." Sources: San Antonio Express-News 7/18/95; The Houston Chronicle 4/24/95
Allegation's against Plummer are the result of a conversation Plummer had with a deacon about the relationship. Plummer reportedly told the deacon the relationship ended 5 years ago. The deacon took the matter to national church officials.
The youth, now an adult, did not file a complaint, and civil authorities did not press charges even though it was within the statue of limitations in Utah for criminal prosecution.
"What he (Plummer) did was a terrible, horrible thing." said Seminole council member and Bishop William Wantland. "There's no question about that. But what has to be born in mind is that this was not a prepubescent youth nor did this involve a number of individuals over a long period of time.
"This was a brief thing with one person, under circumstances that never justify it. But according to his therapist and the clinic he was at, he is not a pedophile and he is not a homosexual and there is not much risk of anything ever happening again."
Episcopalians are divided on Plummer's return. Source: The Milwaukee Journal 4/21/95
The judge refused to try Hanlon because he is already serving 3 life sentences and because of the possibility that his convictions could be overturned by a Massachusetts Appeals Court.
Hanlon, who is eligible for parole in 2010, was convicted in '94 of raping an altar boy at his Scituate summer home. The retired priest is also charged with raping the same youth and another youth at his Vermont ski chalet.
Hanlon's 1st sexual abuse trial ended in a mistrial. Five months later, in a 2nd trial, he was convicted of raping an altar boy after the judge allowed the testimony of 2 more boys into evidence. The boys testified that they were sexually abused by the priest while serving as altar boys at St. Paul's Church in Hingham. Source: The Patriot Ledger
Allegations began in early '94 when a girl, 9, told her foster care parents of the abuse that was allegedly taking place at the church. She made accusations that dozens of adults swapped children at orgies that occurred regularly from 1988-94.
A friend, 13, of the girl told police that she had been abused by the Robersons and 3 other members of the church raped her in Roberson's office.
In graphic statements given to police, 1 woman who pleaded guilty said her husband forced her to take part in having sex with 2 of their sons and 2 of their daughters, some as young as 4.
Many of the children were removed from abusive homes and placed in foster care as the investigation continues.
Affidavits filed in Douglas Superior Court state that parents and children would meet in the basement to sing and listen to scripture. Adults would then order the children to undress and have sex with them. Sources: Wenatchee World 7/21/95; Newsweek 5/8/95; Seattle Post-Intelligence 4/5/95
The woman, 29, said she sought help from Witczak to cope with marital problems, the terminal illness of her father and with feelings of guilt over sexual abuse she suffered when she was 5. She said her relationship with Witczak, pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, developed after holding hands during a walk in the woods during a retreat in Door County and evolved to back rubs on the floor of the rectory and sexual intimacies 2 or 3 times a month at Witczak's home, the parish rectory or in his car.
"He calmed me down, made me like myself better," the woman said. "I had more self-esteem. He gave me an answer to my questions. He stabilized my emotional feelings."
Witczak admitted to having a 2-year sexual relationship with the woman, who called off the sexual contacts after she had gone into a confessional and realized it was ruining her marriage, which has since ended. Witczak's attorney said the 2 became friends, which was separate from a counseling relationship. Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 8/29/95
O'Grady also said it is common for pedophiles to record their performances on videotape while they abuse children. He cited cases of an Australian priest and an American church worker who were jailed for abusing young boys in Thailand and the Philippines.
"Some are in jail, some have been protected by their church agency and escape being brought to trail, some are still working in the church and abusing children," he said. Source: Globe & Mail 1/20/95
Cardinal Hune endorsed a newly launched Australian Child Migrant Foundation which aims to raise money to reunite child migrants with family in Britain. But those who are now fighting for compensation for physical, sexual and psychological abuse in the Australian courts say what the Church is offering is a bare gesture to the dislocated children.
Some of the migrant children spent their childhood years in heavy manual labor at the now infamous Bindoon Boys Camp, 1 of 4 Catholic boys' homes run by the Christian Brothers in Perth.
Through poverty or the social stigma attached to unmarried mothers, some women were forced to hand over their babies to institutions. They were told their children had been adopted or had died.
Children selected to go to Australia by institutions such as Barnardo's, the Salvation Army and the National Children's Homes were told they were orphans and were headed for a new and exciting life. They were taken to the wild bushland and deserts of Australia.
A culture of sexual and physical abuse existed at Bindoon, which took boys from age 4 to 10. Government records show officials were aware of the living conditions and the treatment of the boys even in the late 1940s.
"Some brothers got their kicks out of beating us and others got their kicks in other ways . . . you don't know what it's like to see little boys woken up in their sleep and taken from their beds. We'd hear a brother coming--his footsteps on the wooden floor--and we'd pray he wouldn't stop beside our bed. I'd lie there on a wet matress, praying it wouldn't happen to me. And then somebody else would be woken and carried to a brother's room," said one man who accused the British government of sending child slaves to its colony.
One victim wrote: "No, I didn't miss out on being sexually abused, Brother B used to get me on his knee in his room and play with my penis. In that time, I thought he was showing affection towards me. You must remeber that was the nearest I got to love and affection, him touching and rubbing my private parts. That was the second time in my life that I was held in someone's arms. Years later, I found out what he had done to me."
About 200 former inmates of the homes are taking legal action against the Christian Brothers and the Catholic Archbishop of Perth in the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
Bruce Blyth, founder of Voices, said the support organization for the child migrants has named over 40 Christian Brothers who are alleged to have abused and raped boys of 7 or 8 years old. Source: The Guardian 8/31/95
Josef Hartmann, 37, former pupil of an all-male Roman Catholic high school where Groer was a religion instructor, said that the cardinal abused him often in the early 70s. The cardinal, 75, also has sexual harassment accusations against him from other former students. Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 4/9/95
The former altar boy, now 35, said the Cornwall diocese gave him money in exchange for his silence and secrecy. "In the beginning I just asked for a written apology, but (church officials) said they couldn't do that because it would be like admitting guilt," he said. "But they said they could offer a settlement." The man complied and withdrew his complaint.
Bishop Eugene LaRocque, head of the Cornwall Diocese, refused phone calls which violated another clause of church policy that requires officials to remain "available" to media to discuss alleged cases of sexual abuse. A Cornwall priest said out-of-court settlements shield a priest from defamation. "The publicity (of a trial) would effectively tar this person whether he was acquitted or not." One critic requested the investigation of the man's allegation and whether church officials are "weaseling out" of criminal prosecution. Source: The Ottawa Citizen, 1/13/94
Former Alberni students report that they were repeatedly molested and physically abused by staff members. Their accounts have led to the conviction of former dorm supervisor, Arthur Plint, 77, and triggered a massive investigation into sexual and physical abuse of all 13 residential schools in the providence of British Columbia.
Plint pleaded guilty to 11 counts of indecent assault and gross indecency.
Robert Dennis, former student, reported that Plint would invite boys into his room one at a time to watch television in exchange for sexual favors. During the 12 years he spent at the United Church school on Vancouver Island, he was forced to have sex with Plint.
Another former student, Amelia Thompson, was sent tothe school at age 8. She learned that she would have to have sex with the coach in order to make the school's basketball team. She joined the softball team instead, thinking it would be safer to play outside rather than in the barn. At practice, the coach would stand behind her, as she played catcher, and fondle her, Thompson reports.
In 1973, the Nuh-chah-nulth Tribal Council shut the school down when the federal government abandoned its residential school policy.
The Assembly of First Nations reported in '94 that children were raped, beaten and tortured at residential schools, leading to high rates of suicide, substance abuse and family dsyfunction. Source: The Vancouver Sun (weekend edition) 2/4/95
The retired Melville priest was sentenced to 9 months in jail after he pleaded guilty to gross indecency in '93. Dekievit was charged for incidents that occurred while he served as a parish priest in Gerald from 1970-81.
Dekievit and the archdiocese of Regina have been named in the lawsuit seeking up to $1 million in damages from both parties. The victim, an Esterhazy-area farmer, was abused while an altar boy. The lawsuit claims the archdiocese was responsible for the control and monitoring of its priests and protecting its parishioners.
The priest denies most of the sexual acts specified in the lawsuit, but admitted to an act of masturbation in the boys presence. In a defense statement from Dekievit, he contended that the boy was old enough and intelligent enough to understand what he was doing, and that any injuries or damages the boy sustained later in life were not related to him.
Another Catholic priest, Rev. Eldon McGrath, was eligible for parole in August after a 3 year jail term. McGrath was sentenced to jail last November after he pleaded guilty to 15 counts of indecent assault for offences that occurred in the 50s, 60s and 70s.
Eleven women who were abused as young girls by McGrath have started discussions with the Lanigan-area church, to bring about changes which will help other survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Source: Leader Post (Regina) 5/18/95
A police investigation has resulted in over 240 charges against 30 Christian Brothers and staff at St. John's and St. Joseph's churches. Twelve of the 20 people from St. Joseph's that were charged have been convicted and 4 acquitted. Source: The Ottawa Citizen, 9/7/94
Smyth, who is now serving a 4 year sentence at Magillian Prison, faces 16 additional charges of indecent assault on young boys and girls. The offenses allegedly occurred between '74 and '89 in various parts of Northern Ireland.
Smyth also faces about 30 charges in the Republic. No date has been set for a court appearance there.
Four other Catholic clergymen face charges: a Galway priest and former school principal pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a male hitchhiker, 18; a Northern Ireland Servite brother admitted molesting 3 girls, all 11; a Belfast priest charged with molesting 9 boys, ages 9-15; and a brother appealing his 18 year sentence for raping 6 boys in Western Ireland. Sources: The Arizona Republic, 11/19/94; The Irish Times (Dublin) 7/4/95
Priest Admits On-Going Sex Abuse Deputy to the bishop of Palmerston North, Father Peter Gwynne McCormack, 58, pleaded guilty of the on-going sexual abuse of a girl, from age 12-18. He admitted having oral sex and attempting anal sex with the girl. The abuse reportedly began after her parents separated. Source: New Zealand Herald, 6/16/94