Priest Embezzlement Trial Set. San Bruno church pastor Martin Greenlaw, 54, was ordered to stand trial in October on 4 new embezzlement charges. He reportedly embezzled about $140,000 from St. Paul's church in Noe Valley between 1988-90. He pleaded guilty in April to 22 counts of embezzlement, grand theft, money laundering and state tax evasion and is serving 1 year of home detention. Source: San Mateo County Times 10/9/96
The victim testified that he began having sex 4 times a week with Patavino, when he was 14, after she took him out for pizza in Feb. '95. The boy said he tried to break off the relationship in June when she began doing "weird things" such as cutting herself with a razor and forcing him to lick her blood, but claims Patavino cast a spell on him to stay.
Defense attorneys claim the boy made up the story because he sexually abused Patavino's daughter, 9, while babysitting the Patavino children last June. The girl testified that the boy rubbed and touched her genitals and threatened that he would get her mother in "big trouble," if she told on him. Source: Associated Press 8/21/96
Lutheran Official Arrested For Embezzling. New England's Evangelical Lutheran Church treasurer George A. Patrick, 55, was arrested on charges of embezzling $800,000 from the church to finance a resort lifestyle. Patrick reportedly used the stolen funds to also pay off his $100,000 in credit card debt and finance his sons' college tuitions at Yale and Boston College. He was released on a $100,000 bond. Source: The New York Times 9/20/96
The disclosure of accusations that Blessed Trinity Church pastor Rev. William Lau, 46, sexually abused a minor several years ago was released the same week the diocese announced that Rev. Patrick J. Clarke, 52, of Espiritu Santo Church in Safety Harbor, has been secretly married for 15 years, and Rev. Simeon Gardner, 69, pastor of St. Mary's Church in Lutz, used $225,000 in church funds to quiet a man with whom he had been sexually involved.
No criminal charges have been filed against Lau, who resigned earlier this year. Clarke has been placed on paid leave until he either dissolves his marriage or leaves the priesthood, and Gardner resigned in August with criminal charges pending. Sources: Florida Times Union 10/11/96; St. Petersburg Times 10/2-3/96
Seminarian Held On Bomb Charge. Orthodox Church of America seminarian Roman Regman, 21, was arrested at the Tampa International Airport in September and charged with possessing explosive devices and concealed weapons when boarding a USAir flight to Pennsylvania with an arsenal in his luggage.
Airport security found a 9mm Beretta handgun, 100 rounds of ammunition for the pistol, 100 rounds of ammunition for a .22-caliber weapon, 6 military-style knives, 2 live handgrenades with timing devices, 5 other explosive devices, a variety of bomb-making materials, a ski mask and black gloves in Regman's bags. Source: The New York Times 9/3/96
Men Abuse Young Parishioner? Lake County Baptist Temple choir director James Kerr, 41, and church school teacher Neil Taylor, 35, were charged in early October with criminal sexual abuse and 8 counts each of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against a female church member, 15.
The men are accused of sexual contact with her on secluded roads in Zion and Winthrop Harbor, a storage room at Kerr's Christian Catholic Church in Zion, and in Taylor's basement. A state investigation was spurred by an anonymous tip. Both men admitted their involvement with the girl. Source: The News-Sun 10/2/96
Pastor Charged With Exploiting Teen. Christ Community Church youth pastor Bryan P. Buckley, 27, was arrested for sexually abusing a female parishioner, 14, in the Chicago area. He surrendered to police in early October, wanted on felony charges of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse and the sexual exploitation of a child. He was released on a $10,000 bond. Buckley had recently accepted a job as a youth pastor at a larger congregation in Minnesota. Source: Daily Herald 10/3/96
Probation includes staying away from his victims, undergoing therapy, paying for his victims' therapy and performing 500 hours of community service. Source: The Advocate 8/14/96
Krouse molested the 6 boys, 3 of whom are brothers, at different times, in the wrestling room of Cole Field House at the University of Maryland, Krouse's home, a hotel and other locations, introducing them to beer, cigarettes and pornography.
State Attorney Jack B. Johnson said Krouse claimed that mutual masturbation and fellatio with a priest were acceptable ways to release sexual urges, "implying there was a spiritual and biblical foundation for that conduct." Source: The Washington Post 9/27/96
Santa Fe's new archbishop claims the last one didn't know it was a crime to molest children "until 1981."
Holland is charged with multiple crimes. "All of the people involved are part of our congregation. This calls upon us to have understanding and love one another during a special time," intoned interim pastor Rev. Lawrence Camberg. Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 10/1/96
Verdict Lessens Church Liability. A 3-member Superior Court panel overturned a lower court jury decision in September, absolving the Altoona-Johnstown Catholic Diocese, Bishop James Hogan and St. Therese's Church of liability in the abuse of Michael Hutchinson, who says he was molested by Rev. Francis Luddy from 1978-84.
A Blair County civil jury had awarded Hutchinson nearly $1.6 million for his reported abuse. The jury determined that top diocesan officials were aware of the problems with Luddy and other priests, but failed to act. Luddy, now a $30,000-a-year computer operator in New Mexico, was to pay $236,000 of the jury's award, but has declared bankruptcy. Source: The Tribune-Democrat 9/15/96
New Era Founder Guilty. Faced with an 82-count fraud indictment, Foundation for New Era Philanthropy founder John G. Bennett, Jr., 59, pleaded guilty in late September to all charges of bank fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, false statements, income-tax evasion and impeding the administration of revenue laws.
The classic pyramid scheme collapsed in May '95 after soliciting $354 million from nonprofit groups by promising to double investments within six months. Bennett faces up to 30 years in prison without parole. Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer 9/28/96
Minister Sentenced For Affairs With Teens. A former leader of a religious counseling program in Lansdale was convicted on 2 counts of corruption of minors and 1 count indecent assault of 2 teenage girls. Rev. Stephen E. Aiken was sentenced in late September to 23 months in county prison for initiating sexual affairs with 2 teens under his care. "You took my daughter at the tender age of 15 years old," said the mother of one victim. "You took clear advantage of her teenage years." Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer 9/25/96
Catholic Priest Charged With Prostitution. Antiabortion crusader Monsignor Stephen Forish, 51, was charged with prostitution and criminal attempt to corrupt the morals of a minor and promote prostitution in late September after a man, 22, told police the priest offered him money for sex and asked him if he knew any "15 year olds that would do that." Source: The Patriot News 9/24/96
Rape Trial Begins For Pastor. Lower Paxton Township church minister Wattie Randall Sanders, 46, was ordered to stand trial on charges of raping a girl, 13, while under his care. Sanders resigned from the Harrisburg church after being charged with multiple rape and assault counts. The girl's mother gave Sanders and his wife legal custody of the girl in December after becoming ill with cancer. The girl told police and child welfare workers that Sanders began fondling her soon after she moved in and forced her to have sex with him at home and once at a park in a rental car. Source: The Patriot-News 8/30/96
Cadet Charged With Murder. Two military academy cadets have been arrested for the murder of a Grand Prairie girl, 16, who was found shot and beaten in December. Diane Zamora, a U.S. Naval Academy mid-shipwoman, and her fiance David Graham, an Air Force Academy cadet, both 18, reportedly killed the girl because Graham had had an affair with her, and the "unclean act" threatened the "purity" of the cadets' relationship. Source: Hartford Courant 9/11/96
Minister Targeted In Lawsuit. Eight women filed civil lawsuits in a Travis County state district court on Aug. 30 against Methodist minster Barry Bailey for sexual misconduct. Also named in the suits are several United Methodist church divisions, for being negligent in supervising his behavior. Source: San Antonio Express-News 9/18/96
Spiritual Leader Held For Assaulting Women. Native American spiritual healer John Sharlow, 63, was arrested and charged in early September with sexual assault for molesting 3 women and a girl, 14, during prayer and healing ceremonies. Victims reported entering a lethargic or hypnotic state during the ceremonies, awakening to find their clothing undone and Sharlow's hands either up their shirts or down their pants. Sharlow claimed to police that healing ceremonies include sexual touching. Source: Wisconsin State Journal 9/8/96
Boys Ranch Staffer Charged With Assault. One week after being released on a signature bond for charges of sexual assault of a child, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Rawhide Boys Ranch staff member Donald E. Goewey, 27, for reportedly assaulting another boy, 15.
Goewey was arrested and charged in early August with assaulting a 14 year old resident of the religious school during an outing in July. He admitted sexual contact with the youth on numerous occasions at the ranch between July and December '95. Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 8/22/96
Bishop Preyed On Indian Women. The highest-ranking Roman Catholic in Canada was convicted of sexually assaulting 2 women while they were teens in British Columbia. Bishop Hubert O'Connor, 68, was sentenced in September to 2 years, 6 months in prison for sex crimes against native Indian women while serving as principal at a boarding school in the 60s. Source Morning Star (N.C.) 9/14/96
School Supervisor Pleads Guilty. Former St. George's Anglican residential school supervisor, Derek Clarke pleaded guilty to 1 count each of buggery and indecent assault against male students in the '60s, and 1 count of buggery for an incident at his Vancouver home in the early '70s. Clarke, 59, has been serving jail time for 17 other sex convictions since the '80s. He is the first to be charged in a massive Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigation of abuse at 14 church-run residential schools in the province of British Columbia. Source: Vancouver Sun 9/28/96
Pope Won't Meet Abuse Victims. Two Newfoundland Province men who suffered sexual and physical abuse as boys at the Mount Cashel orphanage had their request to meet with Pope John Paul turned down.
They wanted to meet with the Pope in Rome in October during a ceremony honoring the founder of the order that ran the orphanage, but received a letter stating the Pope would not have enough time to accommodate their visit. Thirty-three Mt. Cashel victims are still seeking compensation. Source: Vancouver Sun 9/28/96
Memorial Marks School's Suspicious Past. In early October more than 350 people gathered at the Kuper Island Residential School for a memorial to many children who died at the school. Former students and family members suspect many wrongful and tragic deaths of children who died from disease, accidents, suspicious causes and while trying to escape what school survivors call "our Alcatraz." From 1890-1975, aboriginal children from British Columbia were sent to the school run by the Montford and Oblate Catholic orders. During the memorial, former students Belvie Thomas and Donna Jones recalled the suspicious death of their brother Richard, who was found hanging in a woodshed.
Richard told Belvie and others he was going to tell the truth about what happened at the school when he got out. "The next thing I knew the priest was telling me, 'Your brother is dead. He hung himself.' No one ever believed it, but the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) won't reopen the case."
Memories of children who drowned while attempting to leave the island school haunt those who survived. Students recall that babies born to girls who had been sexually abused by priests were buried under an apple tree. Last June, Oblate Brother Glen Doughty was convicted of assaulting 3 boys in the '60s. Source: Vancouver Province 10/7/96
Priest Seduced Nun. A Roman Catholic church panel upheld a charge of pastoral abuse by Father Frank Goodall for seducing a nun in the mid-80s. Sister Yvonne Maes, member of the order of the Holy Name of Jesus and Mary and headmistress of school in the Ontario Province, resigned and made a formal complaint to the church in '94 about the priest who initiated a forbidden sexual relationship with her.
Goodall seduced the nun into having sex with him on several occasions. "I felt powerless to resist. It was all so spiritual. He was saying, 'This is the way God wants it.' I was petrified but I could not move. It was obvious he was expert at it," Maes reported. Source: Vancouver Province 9/29/96