• Fr. Maciel Is Disciplined by the Holy See: What Will the Legionaries Do Now?
[1940s-60s Maciel (Legion of Christ founder)] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). 100 males, including seminarians.
New Oxford Review,
www.newoxford review.org/article .jsp?did=0906- editorial , By Dale Vree, Editor, ~ September 01, 2006
VATICAN CITY -- Fr. Marcial Maciel, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, is probably the most prominent priest to be disciplined by the Catholic Church for homosexual predation, that is, pederasty. Former Legionary Juan Vaca sent the first petition to the Holy See in 1976.
He identified himself and 20 others as victims of Maciel's homosexual activity.
It took 30 years for the case to be resolved. The case was reopened in 2004 by Cardinal Ratzinger of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF).
Ratzinger sent Msgr. Charles Scicluna to investigate the matter. [More below]
According to John L. Allen Jr., the ace Vatican correspondent, Msgr. Scicluna gave the number of accusers as "more than 20, but less than 100" ( NCRonline.org , May 18, 2006).
The official communiqué for the CDF on May 19, 2006, said in part: "Beginning in 1998, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith received accusations, already partly made public, against Fr. Marcial Maciel...for crimes that fall under the exclusive competence of the congregation.... After having attentively studied the results of the investigation, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith...decided -- bearing in mind Fr. Maciel's advanced age and his delicate health -- to forgo a canonical hearing and to invite the father to a reserved life of penitence and prayer, relinquishing any form of public ministry. The Holy Father approved these decisions."
The Legionaries and Regnum Christi (the Legion's lay affiliate) followed with an official statement on May 19, which said in part: "Facing the accusations made against him [Maciel], he declared his innocence and, following the example of Jesus Christ, decided not to defend himself in any way."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 09:30 AM]
(This is the first of the Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
for Friday, September 1, 2006 . )
• Ex-parishioners file $1M lawsuit against bishop
[2004-05 Bishop Lawson -NEW*] - New Life Apostolic Church. 4 women.
The Daily Times,
www.delmarva now.com/apps/ pbcs.dll/ article?AID= /20060901 /NEWS01/ 609010303/ 1002 ,
By Ben Penserga, September 01, 2006
SALISBURY (MD) -- Four former congregation members filed a civil lawsuit against the bishop of New Life Apostolic Church on Thursday, accusing him of using his position to help start sexual relationships.
The plaintiffs are seeking a total of $1 million in damage against Bishop Richard C. Lawson, 57, for allegedly making separate advances toward the four women -- whose ages range from 18 to 26 -- in a two-year period starting in 2004.
Reached at his home Thursday evening, Lawson declined to comment until he could talk to his attorney.
Thursday's lawsuit comes less than a month after Lawson's son and current pastor of the church, 30-year-old Joshua Lawson, was acquitted on criminal charges alleging he had an inappropriate relationship with a then 16-year-old female member of the Salisbury church.
Soon after Joshua Lawson's charges came to light in February, the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office said someone tried to set the church on fire.
[~ 1970s+ Widera] - RCC. Settlement $US 16m. 8 victims in California.
Houston Chronicle,
The Associated Press, ~ September 01, 2006
MILWAUKEE - The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has agreed to pay more than $16 million to settle sexual abuse claims involving 10 victims in California and a priest the archdiocese had transferred there, church officials said Friday.
Half the settlement will come from insurance, the archdiocese said. The deal was reached after two days of court-ordered mediation.
"Our hope, always, is to continue our progress in reaching resolution with anyone who was a victim of clergy sexual abuse," Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan said in a statement. "We believe this agreement brings closure to all cases in California and, hopefully, provides healing for victims/survivors."
The Milwaukee Archdiocese had transferred Siegfried Widera to California in 1981, knowing the priest had a history of abuse.
[14yrs Bishop Paulk] - Harvester Church. Woman.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
By GAYLE WHITE, Sep/01/06
GEORGIA -- A judge ruled Thursday that Bishop Earl Paulk must face questioning in the sexual misconduct lawsuit filed against him by two former parishioners and staff members of his South DeKalb church.
DeKalb Superior Court Judge Mark Anthony Scott told lawyers for Paulk, "This needs to happen. It needs to happen sooner rather than later."
Paulk did not attend the hearing.
Mona and Bobby Brewer, former leaders of Paulk's Chapel Hill Harvester Church, filed suit a year ago accusing Paulk of coercing Mona Brewer into an affair that lasted 14 years.
A lawyer for Paulk acknowledged that Paulk had a brief sexual relationship with Mona Brewer, but said she was the initiator.
[1970s Bik* (St John's Abbey)] - RCC. Boys.
Pioneer Press,
BY STEVE SCOTT, ~ September 01, 2006
ANOKA (MN) -- Members of a church sex-abuse survivors group will distribute pamphlets at St. Stephen Catholic Church in Anoka on Sunday morning informing parishioners that a former teacher of the parish school was recently identified as an accused abuser.
St. John's Abbey in Collegeville in early August publicly identified three accused priests, including the Rev. Michael Bik, who was accused in 1997 of abusing two teenage boys in the 1970s, before his ordination.
Officials of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis said Thursday their employee pension records indicate Bik would have taught at St. Stephen sometime between 1971 and 1992. They said, however, that they had no record of receiving the 1997 allegations against Bik and had not been aware of him until the recent statement by the abbey, where Bik lives.
The pamphlet, to be distributed by members of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, says Archbishop Harry Flynn "kept silent" about the allegations against Bik.
[Decades - Albany Diocese] - RCC. 20 clergy removed in 4yrs.
Albany Times Union,
By CAROL DeMARE, Friday, September 1, 2006
ALBANY (NY) -- Every Roman Catholic diocese decides how it will handle priests found to have sexually abused children, Albany diocesan spokesman Ken Goldfarb said Thursday.
Since the abuse scandal broke four years ago, the Albany Diocese has removed from ministry about 20 priests, meaning they can no longer function as priests, Goldfarb said.
Once removed, a priest "may not dress or represent himself as a priest nor can he be alone with children," he said.
Each priest is assigned a case worker as a contact person and resource, and must inform the diocese where he is living through his contact person and when he travels outside his residence area, even if it's outside the diocese, Goldfarb said.
[Decades - 7 priests of New York Archdiocese] - RCC. Minors.
The Journal News,
STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS, September 01, 2006
NEW YORK -- A small number of New York priests suspected of sexually abusing minors has been given the option of entering a lifelong supervision program or leaving the priesthood, according to the New York Archdiocese.
Since June, seven priests have been presented with the choice, and five of the men have chosen to leave the priesthood, said Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for Cardinal Edward Egan. All seven previously had their cases heard by the Vatican, which kicked them back to Egan for resolution.
The two priests who chose not to leave the priesthood are expected to spend their lives in closely supervised housing, where they will undergo therapy and maintain a daily log of their movements. These men will not be permitted to say Mass in public, dress as priests, be alone with children or "inappropriately use computers," according to a letter sent to the priests by Egan.
The two men will live temporarily at Trinity Retreat House in Larchmont before being moved to permanent housing. Trinity Retreat is run by the archdiocese and has long offered spiritual retreats for active priests and special programs for priests battling alcoholism and other personal problems.
[1970s-2001 Doherty*] - RCC. 5+ boys.
Bradenton Herald,
By NIKKI WALLER, nwaller@MiamiHerald.com , ~ September 01, 2006
FLORIDA -- A Margate priest charged with sexually abusing a young boy is scheduled to appear in Broward Circuit Court this morning so a judge can check the progress of trial preparations and set a new court date.
The Rev. Neil Doherty, the former priest at St. Vincent Catholic Church in Margate, has been charged with sexually abusing the boy -- starting when he was 10 years old -- and continuing for several years, beginning in the 1990s. If convicted, he could face life in prison. Doherty's attorney, David Bogenschutz, has denied the allegations.
Several other alleged victims have filed civil suits against the Archdiocese of Miami, which oversees the church, contending that Doherty abused them.
- RCC Bishop Casey was also previously linked with a lady.
Irish Independent,
~ September 01, 2006
IRELAND -- THE return of the native is complete at last. In a sense, of course, the native in question, Bishop Eamonn Casey, returned finally to his home soil in February. But he came back under a shadow. It had to lift before he could genuinely and finally say to himself, "I'm home".
The shadow was not the one caused by the Annie Murphy scandal. That had already lifted, more or less, albeit after a period of 14 years in exile. People can do less time than that for murder.
No, this shadow was potentially much more damaging, one that would have finished him once and for all. It concerned allegations of abuse made against him by a middle-aged woman that date back 30 years.
[1977-2004 Lambert*, Mrs Lambert*, Deacon Tom Epling*, Deacon Paul Epling*, another pastor*] - "Independent Baptist". Children.
Neosho Daily News,
By John Ford / Associate Editor, 5:05 PM CDT, Published: Thursday, August 31, 2006
PINEVILLE (MO) - Four church leaders accused of child sexual abuse charges with incidents going back more than 30 years have apparently left their McDonald County compound.
Mike LeSueur, a deputy and child abuse investigator with the McDonald County Sheriff's Department, said he and two other deputies, David Roark and Mike Miller, served a search warrant at Grand Valley Independent Baptist Church Wednesday night, accompanied by three juvenile officers: Cathy Gorham, Pat Stuart and Tal Clubbs.
Inside the compound, they found eight children: Two infants ages one month and one year; a 13-year-old; a 14-year-old; and two 16-year-olds.
[2004 "Bishop" Hornbuckle*] - Agape Christian Fellowship. 15yrs sentence. 3 women.
The Dallas Morning News,
~ September 01, 2006
FORT WORTH (TX) -- As the prison door slams shut on Terry Lee Hornbuckle, powerhouse-preacher-turned-serial-rapist, an absurd schoolyard jingle keeps ringing in my head.
It's that timeworn counter-taunt meant to convince hecklers and bullies that you're impervious to their insults:
I'm rubber, and you're glue! It bounces off me and sticks to you!
Which is pretty much what happened during the courtroom showdown between the powerful, famous, rich minister and his comparatively obscure accusers.
It was an ugly trial, but there's a grim justice in the fact that every vile epithet the defense team used to discredit the victims boomeranged back onto their client.
[- 2006 Fay*] - RCC. $US 1.4m. Live-in male. On RC abuse board!
The Advocate,
By Angela Carella, Assistant City Editor, September 1 2006
DARIEN (CT) -- The Catholic priest who blew the whistle on his boss, a former pastor accused of stealing more than $1 million from St. John's church in Darien, said "something died" in him the day the bishop had him apologize for hiring a private investigator to review the parish books.
The Rev. Michael Madden, who resigned from the parish Tuesday and left the priesthood, told the Darien Times he does not believe he betrayed the Bridgeport Diocese by asking the private eye to investigate the Rev. Michael Jude Fay, who was pastor of St. John's for 15 years.
"My conscience has always been clear as far as my actions go, because I know that I have tried to do right by the people the bishop entrusted to my care, and as the evidence clearly shows, nobody else was looking out for them or Fay wouldn't have been able to have carried on for all these years," Madden, 45, told the weekly newspaper in an interview published yesterday.
Bishop William Lori has said Madden and the former church bookkeeper, Bethany D'Erario, should not have taken the matter outside the diocese. Lori's office sent out a statement in May with an apology from Madden, with Madden's signature at the bottom.
[COMMENT: The diocese drove an honest man out of the clergy, and drove the honest bookkeeper out, too. The diocese is not really like the epistle, "without spot or wrinkle," is it! Nor is it "meek and humble of heart." Mr Michael Madden and the bookkeeper are better off outside. But how many other RCs have lost the faith because of the diocese's arrogance, and previous inaction? As Mr Madden says, Fay "carried on all these years."
COMMENT ENDS.]
[2006 New York Archdiocese] - RCC. Molesters offered a choice.
Island Packet,
The Associated Press, Thursday, August 31, 2006
NEW YORK (AP) - Priests suspected of sexually abusing children but protected from expulsion by Catholic law are being offered a choice in the New York Archdiocese: Enter a lifelong supervision program or leave the church.
Since June, five of the seven priests in that situation have chosen to leave the priesthood, said archdiocese spokesman Joseph Zwilling.
The other two are expected to spend their lives in closely supervised housing, where they will undergo therapy and maintain a daily log of their movements. They will not be permitted to celebrate Mass in public, dress as priests, be alone with children or "inappropriately use computers," according to a letter sent to the priests by Cardinal Edward Egan.
Previously, suspected abusers had been barred from functioning as priests but were required only to notify the archdiocese of where they were living, Zwilling said.
[1980s+ Jeffs] - Fundamentalist L.D.S. Underage girl marriages.
The Post Chronicle,
By Mitch Marconi, Aug 31, 2006
LAS VEGAS (NV) -- Polygamist leader Warren Steed Jeffs has reportedly agreed to waive extradition on sexual abuse charges, a prosecutor said on Thursday, according to reports.
Jeffs, a bespeckled balding man in the FBI Top 10 Most Wanted list, was arrested earlier in the week without incident in a routine traffic stop outside of Las Vegas, according to wire reports.
The car in which Jeffs, 50, was discovered was stopped by state trooper because he suspected Jeffs was inside. There were reportedly 2 other people in the vehicle, a rather gaudy red Escalade. They have reportedly been identified as one of his wives, Naomi Jeffs, and one of his brothers, says a FOX news report.
[2006 New York Archdiocese] - RCC. Molesters offered a choice.
Larchmont Gazette,
by Judy Silberstein, August 31, 2006
LARCHMONT (NY) -- New York Archdiocese priests credibly accused of sexually abusing children, but not legally convicted, are being offered the option of life-long close supervision that begins with a stay at Larchmont's Trinity House Retreat. According to Joseph Zwilling, spokesperson for the archdiocese, since a new program's inception in June, seven priests received options. Five resigned from the priesthood; one arrived at Trinity House a few days ago, and another is on his way.
Attention was drawn to the program this week after some media outlets received copies of a June letter to the priests from Cardinal Edward M. Egan and began publishing reports. (See: The New York Times: A Choice for New York Priests in Abuse Cases.) The Larchmont Gazette began receiving inquiries and comments early Thursday morning, though most local officials and neighbors of the Trinity House declined to comment. (See Appalled at Alleged Sex Abusers Being Sent to Trinity Retreat.)
The program calls for either leaving the priesthood or leading a "life of prayer and penance because of inappropriate behavior in the past," said Mr. Zwilling, when contacted for explanation. Participants are generally of "advanced age or infirmity" and their cases have been reported to the local district attorneys where the abuse allegedly occurred and reviewed by the archdiocese and by Rome. While residing at Trinity House, the two priests will be under "close supervision" as they undergo psychological evaluation at St. Vincent's Hospital in Harrison that will determine their next placement and further treatment, said Mr. Zwilling.
[1980s+ Jeffs+] - Fundamentalist L.D.S. Underage girl marriages.
Review-Journal,
By FRANCIS McCABE and BRIAN HAYNES, September 01, 2006
LAS VEGAS (NV) -- Warren Jeffs' followers believed he would guide them to heaven.
But the self-proclaimed prophet and suspected rape accomplice is heading to purgatory -- the Washington County, Utah, jail.
Dressed in navy blue prison fatigues, his thin limbs shackled, the 50-year-old leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints appeared stunned as he stood Thursday before a throng of media and Las Vegas Justice of the Peace James Bixler.
Mumbling quietly, the 6-foot-3-inch Jeffs agreed to "go ahead and be extradited" to Utah, where he faces two counts of rape as an accomplice for marrying a girl younger than 18 to an older man and insisting she procreate against her will.
The charges carry sentences of five years to life.
Utah authorities have 30 days to make the transfer, but Bixler told Jeffs: "I don't think it is going to take that long."
Jeffs was arrested Monday night on Interstate 15 near Apex after a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper pulled over the red Cadillac Escalade he was traveling in for not having a visible license plate.
[1977-2004 Lambert*, Mrs Lambert*, Deacon Tom Epling*, Deacon Paul Epling*, another pastor*] - "Independent Baptist". Children.
The Joplin Globe,
~ September 01, 2006
MISSOURI -- Allegations in the sexual-abuse cases of two pastors of affiliated churches in Newton and McDonald counties are discomforting and raise comparisons to revelations in recent years involving pedophile priests. In both instances, the public has been confronted with crimes purportedly committed against innocent children by individuals in positions of spiritual and moral leadership.
Our sense of outrage is heightened not only by the youth of the alleged victims, but by the suspicion that a sacred trust may have been violated.
The allegations of abuse are serious and carry serious consequences if those charged are found guilty. Yet, any early, emotion-driven rush to judgment would ignore a cornerstone of our criminal justice system: Innocence must be presumed until guilt is proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Such verdicts will be handed down on the basis of evidence and testimony in a court of law by a judge or jury.
The public has every right to be outraged and dismayed at the eight felony counts of sexual abuse alleged in the Newton County case and the multiple charges brought against the pastor, his wife and two deacons in McDonald County. We might wonder, too, if other charges might be forthcoming as the investigations into the churches - Grandview Valley Baptist Church North in rural Granby and Grand Valley Independent Baptist Church near Powell - continue.
[1977-2004 Lambert*, Mrs Lambert*, Deacon Tom Epling*, Deacon Paul Epling*, another pastor*] - Baptist. Children.
News-Leader,
by Marcus Kabel, The Associated Press, September 01, 2006
MISSOURI -- Four southwest Missouri church leaders charged with ritual sexual abuse of children in a reclusive live-in community have left their compound and gone out of state, authorities said Thursday.
The departure does not violate the conditions of their bonds, set at between $30,000 and $50,000 each, as long as they appear for a preliminary hearing Oct. 2, McDonald County prosecutor Steve Geeding said.
The disappearance was discovered late Wednesday when sheriff's deputies armed with a search warrant went to the rural McDonald County compound to remove any children. Authorities in neighboring Newton County last week removed 14 children from an affiliated church after its pastor also was charged with child abuse.
Deputies accompanied by juvenile authorities Wednesday found eight children, whose ages ranged from 1 month to 16 years, among about 25 people still at the compound, which had up to 100 residents as recently as a few months ago, Deputy Mike LeSueur said.
- RCC apologist.
The Tidings,
By Francis X. Maier, September 01, 2006
Part three of three; thirty-sixth in a series.
UNITED STATES: Whatever the merit of these claims of clergy sexual abuse against a minor, the plaintiff's attorneys' goal is always the same: to overturn existing statutes of limitations for private (but not public) institutions. Once these safeguards go, the "legalized looting" --- to quote one angry Catholic parent --- can begin.
How can a church community defend itself when an alleged perpetrating priest is dead, and so is every other witness except the accuser? But this has happened again and again.
More than 1,000 new plaintiffs came forward in California during a 2003 suspension of the statute of limitations. So far, California Catholic dioceses and religious orders have paid out roughly $250 million to plaintiffs, and the bleeding continues.
The attack on statutes of limitations by plaintiffs' attorneys has now touched 14 or more states. It's a classic display of entrepreneurial skill --- the fruit of years of carefully cultivating victims' anger, media gloating, the hostility of some lawmakers toward the Church, confusion and guilt by Church leaders, and resentment among the faithful.
The effect on American Catholic life is catastrophic. There's no "Catholic Superfund" to pay for these massive, retroactive sex-abuse settlements, no secret pile of ecclesial wealth; and insurance, even in the best circumstances, covers only a modest portion of the total damages. In some dioceses, insurance companies are suing the Church to avoid payment.
[COMMENT: But is this Church designed for sexually-perverted men, or is it supposed to be our only way to Heaven? "Outside the RC Church there is no salvation," was taught for centuries. The Tidings is "in denial." Contrition, in RC theology, requires an admission of guilt.
The RCC Sacrament of Reconciliation (also called Penance, and Confession) includes a CONFESSING part (that is, ADMITTING the sins were committed), then saying a prayer called an Act of Contrition, which includes ADMITTING the sins and being SORRY for commiting them, and RESOLVING not to commit them again. The minister pronounces an ABSOLUTION or forgiveness formula. Then there is a PENANCE, or accepting a kind of punishment, and SATISFACTION or Restoration, that is to say, to restore to the victim of the sin what the sin deprived him/her of.
This newspaper shows no sign of admitting that the RCC has been a sinful shambles in the USA, and in other countries including Austria, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Malta, etc. Nor does it seem to think that the RCC ought to be sorry, and ought to suffer penance, and to offer some restoration. The USA bishops of the RCC have more than once apologised, that is, made a confession, and some bishops have carried out the rest of the Reconciliation process -- but apologists try to deny that the RCC was in grave error in its past, and present, behaviour.
This is not the only newspaper that publishes articles that evade the point that, once the evidence had compelled the bishops to apologise, to take stern steps to suspend accused clergy, and to expel guilty clergy, it is very poor form to keep making excuses and trying to make the problem seem less than it is. This newspaper is not authentic, and it ought to stop trying to mislead and deceive its readers.
COMMENT ENDS.]
- RCC.
[1988-2006 Ochoa-Perez*] - Altar boy + 2 others.
[- 2006 Santa Rosa Diocese] - Retained, delayed reporting.
Catholic Online, www.catholic.org ,
Aug/31/2006
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Santa Rosa Bishop Daniel Walsh faces possible prosecution for not making a timely report of evidence of sexual abuse, in what could be the first time a U.S. Catholic official has faced criminal charges for failing to properly report abuse and the first time a bishop has been charged in the U.S. sexual-abuse scandal.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office has recommended criminal charges be filed against the bishop over a report concerning 68-year-old Father Francisco Xavier Ochoa, a Sonoma priest who has since fled the country.
"Based upon our investigation, the evidence indicates that this case is worthy of district attorney review," Lt. Dave Edmonds said in a written statement released Aug. 25, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Sonoma County district attorney's office must decide whether it will seek to prosecute the case.
In an August statement, entitled "A Candid Message from Bishop Walsh," posted on the Diocese of Santa Rosa Web site, the bishop acknowledged "my lack of speed in reporting the reprehensive behavior of the Rev. Ochoa," which, he said, was not intended to allow Father Ochoa time to escape.
[1995 Kuchar] - RCC. Boy.
KSDK,
By Jeff Small, ~ September 01, 2006
ST. LOUIS (MO) - One day after Bryan Kuchar was released from jail, his victim is talking for the first time.
Sean Lindenbusch calls Kuchar a mentor who turned into a sexual predator. Lindenbusch says Kuchar nearly destroyed his life.
Normally NewsChannel 5 does not reveal the identities of crime victims. In this case, Lindenbusch wants everyone to see the face of a victim, and hear what it means to live a life, trying to overcome hurtful memories and experiences of abuse.
To the public, Sean Lindenbusch had a horrifying story of molestation, yet no name or face until now.
"I think the message I am trying to convey is that I will put my face out there and stand up and be counted and say this happened to me and it is okay and I am okay," says Lindenbusch.
[1980 Mickey*] - RCC. 2 boys.
The Jackson Sun,
by David P. Gushee, ~ September 01, 2006
TENNESSEE -- The sudden resignation of Father Richard Mickey of St. Mary's Catholic Church has kicked up fresh discussion locally of the sexual abuse charges still pending against him. While Father Mickey has left our community, the issues his situation has raised remain with us.
Thinking rightly about this issue is deeply challenging. It requires people to hold in tension important facts and moral principles. It also requires the capacity to reason rather than to be carried away by emotions. It tests our capacity for fairness and justice.
Here are some key facts worth noting. Tragically, sexual abuse of children and young people in Christian settings does sometimes happen. Such sexual abuse is an egregious misuse of power. Sexual abuse of children is devastating to those who are its victims and to the moral witness of the church. Preventing and punishing the sexual abuse of children and youth are critically mportant moral and legal priorities.
But here are some other important facts: Ministers, teachers, and all who are in the helping professions are vulnerable to false sexual abuse charges because of their close working relationships with people, especially troubled people, and especially troubled children and youth. Civil lawsuits are a way to make a great deal of money if you win. The current climate of mistrust of ministers, especially Catholic priests, makes it difficult to be treated as innocent until proven guilty, at least in the court of public opinion. Completely unfounded accusations of sexual misconduct can destroy a minister's or teacher's career.
[Warren (Oblate of St Francis de Sales)] - RCC. 8 girls.
Toledo Blade,
By MARK REITER, September 01, 2006
TOLEDO (OH) -- It was an unusual ending for an unusual court action involving a former priest who the Toledo Catholic Diocese dismissed over allegations of sexual abuse and is now banned from a West Toledo church.
When ex-priest Chet Warren's appearance at a civil proceeding in Toledo Municipal Court concluded Monday, Judge Robert Christiansen allowed him to leave the courthouse via a nonpublic elevator so he could avoid reporters and cameras.
Mr. Warren is a defendant in a civil complaint filed by the Toledo Diocese to keep the ex-priest from entering Blessed Sacrament Church in West Toledo.
The use of the elevator, which is normally reserved for judges and court personnel, allowed Mr. Warren and his attorney, Martin Mohler, to escape the waiting media by leaving through an underground parking garage below the courthouse that is not open to the public.
The Rev. Michael Billian, Episcopal vicar of the diocese, and attorneys for the Toledo Diocese, who filed the complaint last December against the former priest, left the building by using the same elevator.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 06:44 AM]
[~ 1970s+ Widera] - RCC. Settlement $US 16m. 8 victims in California.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
By Tom Heinen, ~ September 01, 2006
MILWAUKEE (WI) -- The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has reached settlements that could total $16 million or more with eight victims of clergy sexual abuse whose lawsuits were heading for trial in California, according to an attorney representing one of the victims.
Jeff Anderson, a Minnesota attorney who is known nationally for his handling of sexual abuse lawsuits, said early this morning that his client received a $2 million settlement. Based on his conversations with other attorneys, he said he thought that seven other victims probably received settlements ranging from $2 million to $3 million.
The settlements were approved by a judge in California on Wednesday, he said.
As part of the agreement, the settlements were to be announced today, he added.
Asked whether the archdiocese had reached settlements in the California cases, archdiocesan spokesman Jerry Topczewski early this morning said, "I can tell you this: the Archdiocese of Milwaukee remains committed to seeking resolutions with any victim survivor of sexual abuse of a minor by a diocesan priest."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:53 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
Fri September 01, 2006
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont128.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
#### Clergy Sex AbuseTracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse,
Sat September 02, 2006 edition:
• Johnston turns self in, again
[40yrs Johnston -NEW*] - Baptist. 9 charges including ritual abuse.
Neosho Daily News,
www.neosho dailynews. com/articles/ 2006/09/01/ news/01again. txt ,
By John Ford / Associate Editor, 5:25 PM CDT, Friday, September 1, 2006
PINEVILLE (MO) - George Otis Johnston turned himself in to McDonald County authorities late Thursday afternoon and immediately posted a $50,000 bond.
Johnston, 63, the pastor of Grandview Valley Baptist Church North in Granby, faces one Class A felony count of first degree child molestation in a ritual or ceremony in McDonald County.
Johnston also faces eight felony counts of statutory sodomy in Newton County, including seven unclassified first degree charges and a Class C second degree count.
The pastor turned himself in to deputies at the McDonald County Sheriff's Department at about 4 p.m. Thursday afternoon, according to Mike LeSueur, a child abuse investigator with the department.
• Our Man in Rome
[Decades - Cardinal Law] - RCC. Hid clergy abusers.
Boston Magazine,
www.boston magazine.com/ articles/our_man_ in_rome , By Francis X. Rocca, ~ September 02, 2006
ROME -- Every Sunday morning at 10, an usher stands outside the sacristy of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome and tugs on a rope to ring a bell. At this signal, the organist and choir take up the morning's hymn, an original work composed by the basilica's choirmaster. On this cue, the congregation rises to its feet. A procession of nearly 30 men, including acolytes, priests, and two bishops, heads up the nave, trailing incense in its wake. At the end of the line is the basilica's archpriest, wearing his miter and carrying his gold and silver shepherd's crook. After making his way past an audience of a thousand worshipers and camera-wielding tourists, Bernard Francis Cardinal Law takes his place behind the altar.
Nearly four years removed from the clergy sex-abuse crisis that finally forced him to resign as archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Law remains a highly respected member of the Catholic Church's hierarchy in Rome. As archpriest of St. Mary Major, he runs one of the Eternal City's four patriarchal basilicas, a post that offers him a worthy setting in which to express his well-known flair for liturgical ceremony. The church, which features a special altar reserved for the use of the pope, predates the fall of the Roman empire and contains 15 centuries' worth of priceless art. Surely the man who raised a $1.5 million private donation to refurbish Boston's Cathedral of the Holy Cross appreciates the privilege of offering Mass surrounded by fifth-century mosaics and an ornate ceiling that is said to have been gilded with the first haul of ore Columbus brought back from the New World.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 09:14 PM]
- RCC.
The Wanderer,
By Thomas F. Roeser, August 31, 2006
CHICAGO (IL) - As we discussed her service as interim head of the National Review Board - the group set up by the Catholic bishops through a public relations agency to smooth over pedophilia - Anne Burke told me she believes the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops should be disbanded. "All it is," she said, "is a trade association. And not a very good one at that."
That conforms exactly to what Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska said much earlier. To both of them, the existence of the marble mausoleum headquarters in Washington, D. C., the ornate assembly room, decked out like the UN Security Council with individual microphones, gives an air of egregious pretense and politicization not to mention a huge expense paid out from well-meaning Church donors. The USCCB with its bureaucrats entices bishops to pass the buck on tough issues to a faceless association in Washington. Actually, the Conference was built as a personal vehicle for then Bishop Joseph Bernardin to build a following and win recognition from Rome.
That Bishop Bruskewitz, the best known and most courageous authenticist prelate in the United States and Burke, a gutsy critic of the bishops' establishment which has excluded Bruskewitz, didn't communicate during her tenure strikes some as a shame. Both are natural rebels; both have naturally blunt but honest styles. They don't agree on everything but could have worked together on some important matters. Knowing both, this Wanderer reporter thinks such an alliance could have been fascinating and performed great things for the Church.
They seem to agree on a number of things. First, on their view that robust discipline and courageous handling of erring clerics by bishops rather than by namby-pamby methods of transferring them to other assignments, postponed solution of the problems and actually worsened them. Bruskewitz has been eloquent on that issue, that the failings had been caused by "the bishops' own (how shall we say it) sloth, folly, negligence or whatever it might be. I think it's unquestionable that history and God Himself will judge very adversely the carelessness or recklessness or whatever it was that caused this situation to develop." Burke expressed the same sentiments in pungent fashion with me.
[1977-2004 Lambert*, Mrs Lambert*, Deacon Tom Epling*, Deacon Paul Epling*, another pastor*] - Baptist. Children.
Neosho Daily News,
Friday, September 1, 2006
MISSOURI -- Four McDonald County church leaders facing child sexual abuse charges spanning four decades were asked to leave an Oklahoma campground Friday.
Daily News reporters John Ford and Todd G. Higdon were at the scene Friday when Raymond Lambert, his wife, Patty, and her brothers, Paul and Tom Epling, were asked to leave a campground on Grand Lake where they had been staying for most of the week.
- RCC.
Kansas City Star,
By DANIEL BURKE, Religion News Service, ~ September 02, 2006
UNITED STATES -- U.S. Roman Catholic bishops have issued revised guidelines for teaching and accepting candidates for the priesthood, placing additional emphasis on celibacy and formally adopting the Vatican's ban on "those who practice homosexuality" or support "gay culture."
The Program of Priestly Formation, which has governed U.S. seminaries since 1971, was last updated in 1992. The new version reflects the church's response to the clergy sexual abuse scandal by calling for greater scrutiny of men who want to be priests.
The new rules tighten admission policies and explicitly ban any applicant who has been involved in the sexual abuse of a minor or shows evidence of a sexual attraction to children.
According to the new guidelines, "thresholds pertaining to sexuality serve as the foundation for living a lifelong commitment to healthy, chaste celibacy. As we have recently seen so dramatically in the church, when such foundations are lacking in priests, the consequent suffering and scandals are devastating."
- RCC.
[1988-2006 Ochoa-Perez*] - Altar boy + 2 others.
[- 2006 Santa Rosa Diocese] - Retained, delayed reporting.
Napa Valley Register,
By DAVID RYAN, Saturday, September 2, 2006
SONOMA (CA) -- A fugitive Sonoma priest who told church officials that he had sexual contact with young boys in Sonoma, Napa and Mexico worked at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Napa during the 1990s, according to top church officials.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Department is investigating whether Rev. Francisco Xavier Ochoa broke the law while he was in Napa, but so far the investigation has been fruitless.
"Our understanding is that prior to coming to Sonoma in 2000 or 2001, he was in Napa," Sonoma County Sheriff's officer Sgt. Dennis O'Leary said. "We are trying to find out what happened over there. We haven't found any documentation at this time. There isn't a police report we can locate and there doesn't seem to be anything in his personnel file."
[~ 1970s+ Widera] - RCC. Settlement $US 16m. 8 victims in California.
Los Angeles Times,
By John Spano, 12:34 PM PDT, September 1, 2006
MILWAUKEE (WI) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Milwaukee has agreed to pay eight victims of the late Father Siegfried Widera $13.3 million, ending the litigation against the serial child molester who jumped to his death from the balcony of a hotel in Mexico rather than face criminal charges in the United States.
Added to the settlement from a church in California two years ago, the victims will receive a total of $28 million, or a record $3.6 million per plaintiff.
Widera was convicted of child molestation in Milwaukee in 1976, then sent to Orange County three years later. But the Milwaukee archdiocese failed to disclose the conviction in a letter to Orange County church officials, saying Widera posed "no great risk."
The settlement, along with Milwaukee's decision to release many documents in the cases, was hailed by lawyers for the victims.
[~ 1970s+ Widera] - RCC. Settlement $US 16m. 8 victims in California.
Orange County Register,
By EMILY FREDRIX, The Associated Press, ~ September 02, 2006
MILWAUKEE (WI) -- The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has agreed to pay more than $16 million to settle sexual-abuse claims involving 10 victims in California and a priest the archdiocese had transferred there, church officials said Friday.
Half the settlement will come from insurance, the archdiocese said. The deal was reached after two days of court-ordered mediation.
"Our hope, always, is to continue our progress in reaching resolution with anyone who was a victim of clergy sexual abuse," Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan said in a statement. "We believe this agreement brings closure to all cases in California and, hopefully, provides healing for victims/survivors."
The Milwaukee Archdiocese had transferred Siegfried Widera to California in 1981, knowing the priest had a history of abuse.
[~ 1970s+ Widera] - RCC. Settlement $US 16m. 8 victims in California.
Chicago Tribune,
Items compiled from Tribune news services, Published September 2, 2006
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN -- The Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee has agreed to pay more than $16 million to settle sexual abuse claims involving 10 victims in California and two priests, one transferred there by the archdiocese, church officials said Friday.
Half the settlement will come from insurance, the archdiocese said. The deal was reached after two days of court-ordered mediation.
"We believe this agreement brings closure to all cases in California and, hopefully, provides healing for victims survivors," Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 08:10 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Sat September 02, 2006
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont128.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
#### Clergy Sex AbuseTracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse,
Sun September 03, 2006 edition:
• New leads in street kid abuse inquiry
[A deacon - NEW*] - Christian. Minors.
The Australian,
www.theaustralian. news.com.au/ story/0,20867, 20338812- 5006787, 00.html ,
By Nigel Hunt, September 03, 2006
AUSTRALIA -- POLICE investigating the activities of a group of men who allegedly abused street kids have received several calls concerning a man who said he worked with "books" who is connected with the inquiry.
Pedophile taskforce detectives appealed for public help in the case last Sunday, asking anyone who may have information about the mystery man to come forward. ...
A former church deacon, 82, is facing multiple counts of indecently assaulting a former street kid while a prominent Adelaide legal identity, 57, is facing nine sex charges involving street kids.
• The gospel of Father Mac
- RCC. Fr McLaughlin had called for Law to resign.
The Boston Globe,
www.boston. com/news/ local/ articles/ 2006/09/03/ the_gospel_ of_father_ mac , By Bella English, Globe Columnist | September 3, 2006
BOSTON (MA) -- For nearly half a century, the Rev. Bernard McLaughlin has been a priest in the Archdiocese of Boston. Airport passengers knew him as the rapid-tongued priest at Our Lady of the Airways at Logan Airport. Hispanic, Italian, and Asian immigrants knew him from Holy Redeemer in East Boston. The homeless and hungry knew him from Crossroads Shelter, which he founded.
Politicians knew him from the state Ethics Commission, for which he was vice chairman. Radio listeners knew him from the talk show he hosted with a rabbi and a black minister. Suburbanites knew him from St. Gerard Majella parish in Canton, where he has presided the past 11 years. State senators have come to know him as their chaplain on Beacon Hill.
He is 72 now, and though that may be considered not old for a priest, Father Mac is retiring in September, following a stroke he suffered over the summer. He moves a little more slowly, but his mind is sharp, his opinions and sense of humor even sharper. Of his older brother, he says: "He's an attorney in Washington, God help him. He'll never get into heaven." ...
The most trying time of Father Mac's priesthood was, of course, the sexual abuse scandal that rocked the archdiocese in 2002. McLaughlin, long an outspoken supporter of a strong laity, welcomed the fledgling lay group, The Voice of the Faithful, which the archdiocese called divisive and banned from many of its buildings. "It's the people's church, what the hell," noted Father Mac, who never missed a meeting.
He also called for the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law, the man he had such high hopes for, the man he greeted at Logan Airport in 1984 while the Harvard Band played in the background. At a time when many priests were still afraid to speak out, he criticized the cardinal's sprawling "palazzo" in Brighton and suggested that Law move into the Paulist Center and be "closer to the people." He disliked what he called the sycophants that Law surrounded himself with and the arrogance of the hierarchy. "That's not the way of Jesus," he said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 08:57 AM]
[2004 "Bishop" Hornbuckle*] - Agape Christian Fellowship. 15yrs sentence. 3 women.
Star-Telegram,
By MARK AGEE, ~ September 03, 2006
FORT WORTH (TX) -- Terry Hornbuckle was sentenced to 15 years. His wife, Renee, told the Agape congregation to keep its focus on God, not the scandal.
Last Sunday, Pastor Renee Hornbuckle urged Agape Christian Fellowship's congregation to keep its focus on God, not the scandal that had swirled for more than a year.
"God is not man," she preached. "He won't let you down."
With founder and Rev. Terry Hornbuckle sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting three women, church leaders say Agape will move forward and rebuild. That may prove difficult, experts on church scandals and growth warn.
The criminal proceedings have ended, but the church still faces civil lawsuits filed on behalf of some of Hornbuckle's victims. The church claimed 2,500 members when the saga began. Membership dropped to as low as 300 before rebounding a bit to about 600, said Charles Richardson, chairman of the church board.
"It's kind of hard to say what we'll need to do to rebuild," Richardson said. "We've never been in this situation before."
[1977-2004 Lambert*, Mrs Lambert*, Deacon Tom Epling*, Deacon Paul Epling*, another pastor*] - Baptist. Children.
Neosho Daily News,
By John Ford / Associate Editor, Sunday, September 3, 2006
GROVE, Okla. - Four church leaders facing felony child sexual abuse charges spanning three decades were asked to leave the Grove, Okla., campground Friday where they had been staying for much of the week.
Ron Riley, manager and owner of Bear's Den Resort, a private, members-only campground located near Sailboat Bridge in Grove, asked Raymond Lambert and four others in his party to leave late Friday afternoon.
The request came after members of the media alerted him to charges against Lambert and three other leaders of the Grace Independent Baptist Church, located in Washburn. Riley found a clause in the membership agreement which stated he could temporarily suspend the membership of anyone who is convicted or accused of a felony crime.
"They are good members in good standing," he said. "But we do have a responsibility to our others as well. We want to ensure the safety of our members, particularly of our members' children. So this is a good compromise."
[Decades] - RCC. Industrial school inmates.
The Sunday Times,
by John Burns, ~ September 03, 2006
IRELAND -- IT was set up by the church to help victims of abuse in industrial schools improve their education. But three years later it has emerged that less than one in three beneficiaries of a €12.7m trust fund has ever set foot in an industrial school or orphanage.
Furthermore, a large proportion of the proceeds of the compensation fund appears to have been spent on Irish dancing and salsa classes, driving lessons and swimming instruction.
A spokesman for the Education Finance Board (EFB), which is responsible for handing out the cash, says only 27.9% of those who have got grants are former residents of industrial schools. "The remainder are mostly children of residents, and some spouses," he said. "The grants have been for a range of courses, from basic literacy to masters degrees."
Almost 1,500 people from Ireland and around the world have received payments totalling €3.2m, an average of €2,100 each. There is still €10.5m left in the fund, which is being looked after by the National Treasury Management Agency.
[1 cardinal, 1 archbishop, 1 bishop] - RCC's Father Hoatson (a survivor) speaks out.
Renew America,
Matt C. Abbott, September 2, 2006
The following essay was written by Father Robert Hoatson. NEWARK (NJ) -- At the July 21-23 SNAP (Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests) Conference at a Jersey City, NJ hotel, Richard Sipe, former Benedictine monk, therapist, and expert on celibacy, in a talk entitled "The Power of Powerlessness," challenged attendees to consider two principal questions: "Why did you trust the priest who abused you?", and "Why did your parents allow you to be with the priest who abused you?" The answers to these two questions form the foundation of the explanation for the Catholic Church's sexual abuse crisis and its ongoing denial and cover-up.
On December 13, 2005, I filed a five million dollar lawsuit against a number of Catholic Church entities and individuals for the sexual abuse I endured from the time I was eighteen years of age, and for the retaliation and harassment I received from all church quarters, especially its leadership, for publicly revealing my abuse and attempting to assist in the clean-up of my church's dirty secret.
Two weeks after I filed my lawsuit, invitations (which I had already accepted) to speak at two Voice of the Faithful (a Catholic reform organization) meetings in the New York metropolitan area were withdrawn. The reason: In my lawsuit, I had accused one bishop, one archbishop, and one cardinal of having violated their vows/promises of celibacy by engaging in sexual abuse or consensual sex. Voice of the Faithful believed it was abhorrent for a priest to accuse bishops of sexual misconduct, so two of its affiliate chapters uninvited me. One later reversed its decision after being bombarded with protests.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 03:50 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
Sun September 03, 2006
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont128.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
#### Clergy Sex AbuseTracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse,
Mon September 04, 2006 edition:
• Metro group wants church abuse to stop
- Christian Church.
KSTP,
www.kstp.com/ article/ stories/ S18570. html?cat=1 ,
~ September 04, 2006
MINNESOTA -- Their message is simple, stop the abuse.
Sunday a Twin Cities group reached out to those who they say were victimized in a Twin Cities church.
Allegations of abuse at St. Michael's Church in Anoka have been around for nine years, but a group of advocates say the church has not addressed them. Sunday they took it upon themselves to spread the word.
"We're trying to help some people who may have been hurt here growing up."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 01:41 PM]
[1981-86 Doyle] - RCC. 2 boys.
RTE News,
16:44, September 04, 2006
IRELAND -- A former priest in the Diocese of Ferns has been sent forward for trial on 35 charges of indecent assault against two young boys.
A book of evidence was served on James Doyle, who was curate in Clonard Parish in Wexford town, from 1979 to 1990.
The offences are alleged to have occurred between 1981 and 1986.
[1981-86 Doyle] - RCC. 2 boys.
Evening Echo,
Sep 04/2006
IRELAND -- A former priest in the Diocese of Ferns today made his first appearance in court to face 35 counts of indecent assault.
James Doyle, who was curate at Clonard Church in Wexford from 1979 to 1990, is alleged to have indecently assaulted two young boys in the town between 1981 and 1986.
The accused, who left the priesthood in 2004, appeared before Wexford District Court where the case was sent forward for trial.
Garda John Sheehy said he arrested Mr Doyle at 2.15pm on August 14 and took him to Wexford Garda Station where he was charged under section 62 of the 1861 Offences against the Person Act.
He told the Judge Donnacha O'Buachalla Mr Doyle replied no comment to each charge.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Mon September 04, 2006
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont128.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
#### Clergy Sex AbuseTracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse,
Tue September 05, 2006 edition:
• Group warns priest's neighbors
[1995-98 or + – Evans] - RCC. 2 boys.
Denver Post,
www.denverpost. com/news/ci_ 4287143 , By Kirk Mitchell, ~ September 05, 2006
LOVELAND (CO) -- The Loveland neighborhood of a Catholic priest charged with molesting two youths was blanketed with fliers Monday by a group of people who said they had been victims of sexual assaults.
"I don't want to see any other children raped," said Jeb Barrett, a leader of the Denver branch of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests.
Barrett said he left the fliers because he was raped decades ago when a priest in Missoula, Mont., plied him with alcohol.
Barrett and other SNAP members had to knock on the doors of the Rev. Timothy Evans' neighbors, he said, because the Catholic Church doesn't warn people when a priest abuses children.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 05:54 AM]
[~ 2004-06 Macheriotis] - ? Greek Orthodox. ? Altered photograph. Male.
Cyprus Mail,
~ September 05, 2006
CYPRUS -- SUPPORTERS of Limassol bishop Athanassios were yesterday livid at allegations the venerated cleric tried to quash a sex scandal.
Nicos Polycarpou, 20, alleges that he and Archimandrite Isaac Macheriotis, maintained relations of a homosexual nature. The affair is said to have begun three years ago, when Polycarpou was 17 and therefore still underage.
The youth has filed a lawsuit, filed in a Limassol court, demanding compensation of up to £250,000 for alleged sexual exploitation of a minor.
It was daily Politis that broke the story in July, when it published photos of the archimandrite ostensibly showing him engaging in untowardly acts with the youngster.
The paper insisted the material was authentic, although subsequent digital analysis by British experts - commissioned by the Limassol bishopric - deemed the photos were doctored.
[? 1990s-2000s Hughes*, Christley*, Fallon*, Greene, Jr., Hitt* (Christ of the Hills Monastery)] - "Eastern Orthodox" Christian monastery. "Weeping" icon. Boys.
Los Angeles Times,
By Lianne Hart, September 5, 2006
BLANCO, Texas - Pilgrims by the thousands have navigated the winding roads to Christ of the Hills Monastery for more than 20 years to witness a miracle, a painting of the Virgin Mary said to weep rose-scented tears.
Now five of the order's monks are under indictment, charged with sexually assaulting boys; the tearful icon has apparently been exposed as a fake; and lawyers for the state have moved to take possession of the 105-acre compound, calling it "contraband" used during the commission of felonies.
"That wasn't a church," Blanco County Sheriff William Elsbury said recently. "It was a pedophile factory."
In the farming community of Blanco, about five miles northeast of the monastery, residents had always had their doubts about the monks. "Maybe it was because you didn't have proof, just a feeling that something was wrong," resident Amy Elrod said. "They were out of town just enough to where it wasn't right in front of you."
[1966-68 Elder White] - Mormon. Boy.
Yankton Press & Dakotan,
By CARSON WALKER, Associated Press Writer, September 05, 2006
SIOUX FALLS (SD) -- A South Dakota man is suing the Mormon church, alleging one of its missionaries sexually abused him in the 1960s.
Joseph Ferris filed the complaint in U.S. District Court in South Dakota against the Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Latter-Day Saints, both of Utah.
Ferris, 51, is an American Indian who lived with his family in Sioux Falls from 1966 to 1968, when he was 10 to 12 years old, according to the lawsuit.
They were members of the Mormon church when in 1967, Elder Richard Joseph White and another missionary started picking up Ferris and his brothers to take them to activities.
1010 News,
~ September 05, 2006
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- Bishop Brom, protect the innocent.
Civil lawsuits against the Diocese of San Diego are winding their way through the courts. As in most cases of alleged sexual abuse, the victim's names are not publicly disclosed.
But now, attorneys for Bishop Robert Brom and the local diocese want those names revealed in public court documents. They say it's in "the interest of fairness" to make their identities known to everyone.
Fairness? 10News says call it what it is -- intimidation. Subjecting these plaintiffs to the glare of public exposure simply doesn't benefit the legal process.
WFAA,
By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA-TV, September 05, 2006
DALLAS (TX) -- Did Catholic officials in Dallas ignore evidence of massive sexual abuse at one local parish in the late 1990s? Those allegations are at the center of a civil trial set to begin in Dallas on Tuesday.
The year was 1997.
The Dallas Catholic Diocese was under fire and on trial for letting Rev. Rudy Kos sexually molest at least eleven boys at area parishes.
The case drew national attention and resulted in the largest clergy abuse verdict in history-nearly $120 million.
Diocese officials pledged to make changes; the young victims demanded it.
[1995-98 or + – Evans] - RCC. 2 boys.
Rocky Mountain News,
By Deborah Frazier, September 5, 2006
LOVELAND (CO) -- The suicide attempts and decades of drug abuse that followed Robert Brancato's childhood sexual abuse by a priest brought him to the Rev. Tim Evans' neighborhood Monday.
Evans, a Catholic priest, was indicted last week in Jefferson County for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy in his Spirit of Christ Church in Arvada in 1996. He is free on $25,000 bond.
Evans was moved from Arvada in 1998 to a large parish in Fort Collins, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and has been charged there with two sexual assaults.
He is free on $75,000 bond in that case.
"I saw him mowing his lawn this morning," said Brancato, who went door to door in Evans' neighborhood warning residents about the priest.
[1969-72 McFadden] - RCC. 3 more boys.
Des Moines Register,
BY LEE ROOD AND SHIRLEY RAGSDALE, September 5, 2006
IOWA -- A former Iowa priest who has been accused in more cases of sexual abuse than any other Iowa priest is being sued by three more accusers.
The three people, who are not named in separate lawsuits filed in Woodbury County, sued the Sioux City Diocese and the Rev. George McFadden, who worked in numerous parishes in the Sioux City area from the 1950s until his retirement in the 1990s.
They all make similar allegations against McFadden, who is now more than 80 years old and living in Fort Wayne, Ind. They also accuse the diocese of a cover-up in the aftermath of that abuse.
The diocese declined to comment on the lawsuits.
"Consistent with our policy, we do not comment on matters that are in active litigation," said Jim Wharton, communications director for the Sioux City Diocese.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 05:27 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Tue September 05, 2006
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont128.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
#### Clergy Sex AbuseTracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse,
Wed September 06, 2006 edition:
• Ex-priest's sexual assault trial slated for next year
[1987 Richard] - Christian. Boy.
The Chronicle Herald,
http://the chronicle herald. ca/NovaScotia/ 526548.html , ~ September 06, 2006
CANADA -- A former Cape Breton priest convicted of sex offences will stand trial next year on a new charge.
Trial dates were set Tuesday in Supreme Court for 70-year-old Claude Richard, now of Halifax, who is charged with sexual assault involving a Glace Bay boy in 1987.
Mr. Richard's trial is scheduled for June 11 to 15.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 08:25 AM]
[2001-03 Kirkland, Muratore] - Trident Latin Rites Church. Boys.
The Seattle Times,
By Anne Kim, Seattle Times Eastside bureau, ~ September 06, 2006
SEATTLE (WA) -- Two men previously charged with child rape and child molestation at a Sammamish "religious home" face new charges in connection with a second boy who has come forward saying that he, too, was sexually abused.
Justin Kirkland and Michael Muratore, both 21, were each charged with three counts of second-degree child molestation Thursday. They are accused of molesting a boy between 2001 and 2003 who was about 11 at the time the alleged abuse started.
All were members of the Trident Latin Rites Church, which has been described as a breakaway sect of the Roman Catholic Church.
The King County charging papers accuse Kirkland and Muratore of molesting the boy at a seminary in Sammamish where the three lived.
[1970s-2001 Doherty*] - RCC. 5+ boys.
Miami Herald,
By AMY SHERMAN, asherman@MiamiHerald.com , ~ September 06, 2006
FLORIDA -- Broward Circuit judge Susan Lebow could decide this morning whether to allow a retired priest accused of sexual abuse to remove the ankle bracelet used to monitor his whereabouts.
The Rev. Neil Doherty has also requested permission to move from Lantana to Lake Worth.
[1980s+ Jeffs] - Fundamentalist L.D.S. Underage girl marriages.
SignonSanDiego.com ,
By Jennifer Dobner, ASSOCIATED PRESS, 1:40 p.m., September 5, 2006
HURRICANE, Utah - Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs was moved to southern Utah from a Las Vegas jail on Tuesday to face felony sex charges involving the arranged marriage of an underage girl and an older man.
Jeffs arrived by Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter at the Purgatory Correctional Facility here just after 12:30 p.m. MDT, said Lt. Rob Tersigni of the Washington County sheriff's office.
An initial court appearance was expected Wednesday before 5th District Judge James L. Shumate in nearby St. George. The court typically conducts initial appearances via video cameras set up in the jail. A public defender could be appointed for Jeffs then if he has no attorney.
Jeffs, 50, is head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a polygamist sect of 10,000 that for a century has made its home in the twin towns of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Ariz.
[1969-72 McFadden] - RCC. 3 more boys.
Sioux City Journal,
AP, ~ September 06, 2006
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Three more lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by a priest have been filed against the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Sioux City and a former priest accused of molesting more than two dozen children since the 1950s.
The lawsuits, filed in Woodbury County, name the diocese and the Rev. George McFadden. He worked in numerous parishes from the 1950s until his retirement in the 1990s.
McFadden, who is now in his 80s, lives in Fort Wayne, Ind.
In two of the latest lawsuits, two men accused McFadden of sexual abusing them while he was at St. Francis church in Jefferson from 1969 to 1972. The third man accuses McFadden of abusing him from 1971 to 1972.
The lawsuits also accuse the diocese of a cover-up. Diocese spokesman Jim Wharton declined to comment.
[2004-05 Bishop Lawson*] - New Life Apostolic Church. 4 women.
The Christian Post,
The Associated Press, 06:19 AM ET, Tue, Sep. 05 2006
SALISBURY, Md. (AP) - Four past members of New Life Apostolic Church are suing the church's bishop, Richard Lawson, alleging he made sexual advances after telling them he needed a new companion because his wife was dying.
Two of the plaintiffs are 18 years old and succumbed to the advances, attorney Dale Adkins said. The other two women said they refused his alleged sexual advances. The women are each seeking $1 million in damages.
"He told her that his conduct was in accordance with God's will because spiritually they were already one and he wanted to connect with her physically until they could be married in a man's eyes," the lawsuit states.
"That is a bunch of junk," the 57-year-old bishop told The (Baltimore) Sun. He said the church members were asked to leave because they were making comments that were not conducive to a spiritual atmosphere. He said those comments including accusations against his son and against the church.
- RCC.
[Feeney] - Victim details not reported.
[1958-67 Bishop Soens] - 13+ children.
KTIV,
~ September 06, 2006
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport is changing legal strategies in lawsuits claiming sexual abuse by priests. The diocese plans to defend itself before a jury against allegation of allowing sexual abuse to go unreported and unpunished.
Since 2004, the diocese has settled cases totaling about ten-million dollars. Church officials say they face financial ruin if they settle pending cases involving two former priests -- Thomas Feeney and Lawrence Soens.
Craig Levien is the attorney for several people suing the church. He says the diocese is going to court because its insurance options have run out and it is trying to shield assets.
[2004 "Bishop" Hornbuckle*] - Agape Christian Fellowship. 15yrs sentence. 3 women.
Star-Telegram (Fort Worth) ,
By MARK AGEE, ~ September 06, 2006
ARLINGTON (TX) -- Agape Christian Fellowship's board has fired the church's founder and pastor, Terry Hornbuckle, because of his sexual assault convictions, according to a statement released Tuesday.
His wife, Renee Hornbuckle of Colleyville, will take over as senior pastor for at least four months.
A group of pastors and bishops from around the country will evaluate her based on "her readiness and capacity to serve as senior pastor on an indefinite basis," the statement read. Renee Hornbuckle had been assistant pastor at the southeast Arlington church.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 08:00 AM]
[1977-2004 Lambert*, Mrs Lambert*, Deacon Tom Epling*, Deacon Paul Epling*, another pastor*] - "Independent Baptist". Girls.
San Francisco Chronicle,
By MARCUS KABEL, Associated Press Writer, Wednesday, September 6, 2006
WASHBURN, MISSOURI (AP) -- Turning their backs on the isolated religious commune in the rugged Ozarks where many had grown up, a group of members fled with only the clothes on their back, trudging several miles down a gravel road to the nearest phone to call friends or family for help.
A woman in the group soon told a sheriff's deputy horrific stories of how the compound's leaders had molested girls as part of religious ceremonies during which they were told their bodies were being prepared for "service to God."
That was the beginning of a child sex scandal that has ensnared five leaders from two affiliated churches and cast a spotlight on a remote corner of the Ozarks that has long been home to spiritual communes, sheltered by deep oak woods, steep hills and a culture in which people keep to themselves.
"It's a shock, a sickening kind of shock. It's not the kind of thing you want to wake up in the morning and hear about," said Linda Hopping, who lives a few miles from one of the backwoods churches but said she had never heard of it before now.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 02:31 PM]
[1970s-2001 Doherty*] - RCC. 5+ boys.
Centre Daily,
By AMY SHERMAN, asherman@MiamiHerald.com , ~ September 06, 2006
FLORIDA -- A request from a retired priest who has been charged with sexual abuse to move from Lantana to Lake Worth was delayed at a hearing this morning.
Also today, a motion by the Rev. Neil Doherty's attorney to remove the electronic monitor on his ankle was deleted from the docket.
Broward Circuit Judge Susan Lebow did not set a new date to hear arguments on either issue this morning. The next hearing in the case is Oct. 20.
[2004 "Bishop" Hornbuckle*] - Agape Christian Fellowship. 15yrs sentence. 3 women.
The Dallas Morning News,
By JEFF MOSIER / September 06, 2006
ARLINGTON (TX) -- The church founded by convicted rapist Terry Hornbuckle has fired him, and the board of directors said he would not be allowed to return.
The board of Agape Christian Fellowship in Arlington made its decision Saturday, ending Mr. Hornbuckle's unpaid suspension. Charles Richardson, chairman of the church board of directors, said that Agape bylaws added since Mr. Hornbuckle's arrest prevent any convicted sex offenders from working at the church.
"They were old and outdated," Mr. Richardson said about previous bylaws that didn't address Mr. Hornbuckle's legal troubles.
[2004 "Bishop" Hornbuckle*] ...
Newchannel 5,
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
ARLINGTON (TX), (AP) - The board of an Arlington church has fired the church's founder and pastor in the wake of his sexual assault convictions and prison sentence.
A statement issued Tuesday by the Agape Christian Fellowship says the church board has fired the Reverend Terry Hornbuckle.
The statement says his wife, Renee Hornbuckle of Colleyville, will take over as senior pastor for at least four months. The board says a group of pastors and bishops from around the country will evaluate her based on "her readiness and capacity to serve as senior pastor on an indefinite basis."
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Wed September 06, 2006
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont128.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
#### Clergy Sex AbuseTracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse,
Thu September 07, 2006 edition:
• Rabbi Caught on TV Is Convicted of Seeking Sex With Boy
[2005 Kaye*] - Judaism. Internet "boy".
Washington Post,
www.washington post.com/wp- dyn/content/ article/2006/ 09/06/AR2006 090601863.html ,
By Jerry Markon, Page B02, Thursday, September 7, 2006;
ALEXANDRIA (VA) -- A Maryland rabbi caught in a television sting operation was convicted yesterday of traveling to Herndon for what he thought would be sex with a 13-year-old boy he met over the Internet.
In a written opinion issued yesterday, a federal judge in Alexandria found David A. Kaye, 56, guilty after a bench trial last month in which prosecutors presented evidence of sexually graphic chats between him and the boy. In reality, the boy was a 26-year-old man working for Perverted Justice, a group that tries to expose adults who use the Internet for sexual activity with children.
Perverted Justice was working with the NBC newsmagazine "Dateline," which paid the watchdog group to create a pedophile sting that ran as a series of television reports called "To Catch a Predator." Men lured to the house they set up in Herndon last year also included a schoolteacher from Prince George's County and a physician from the Eastern Shore.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 07:54 AM]
[2005 Kaye*] - Judaism. Internet "boy".
TheWBALChannel.com ,
~ September 07, 2006
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- A Maryland rabbi caught in a nationally televised Internet sex sting has been convicted of traveling to Virginia for sex with what he believed to be a 13-year-old boy.
A federal judge found David Kaye, 56, of Rockville, guilty of coercing and enticing a minor and of traveling across state lines for illegal sexual contact.
During a bench trial last month, prosecutors presented sexually graphic chats between Kaye and adults from an Internet watchdog group called Perverted Justice who were pretending to be minors
The group was working with the NBC newsmagazine "Dateline." Kaye was one of several men who showed up at a Herndon home and were confronted on camera by correspondent Chris Hansen.
[ALSO SEE: The Awareness Centre, which is the Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault (JCASA), www.theawareness center.org/kaye_ david.html ENDS.]
- Fundamentalist LDS, and Christ of the Hills Monastery.
FindLaw,
By MARCI HAMILTON, hamilton02@aol.com , Thursday, Sep. 07, 2006
UNITED STATES -- The last true frontier in civil rights in the United States is that of children's rights. It is our country's ugly secret that massive numbers of children are abused (a shocking one out of four, if a recent New York City study is to be believed). Yet the law has been excruciatingly slow both in stopping ongoing abuse, and in deterring abuse before it happens.
Fortunately, two arrests last week indicate that the tide is turning in favor of child abuse victims. First, Warren Jeffs -- the prophet of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of the Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ (FLDS) who was on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List, was captured and arrested. Jeffs was then indicted on two felony counts of sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual assault with a minor.
Second, the monks at the Christ of the Hills Monastery outside Blanco, TX, were arrested, based on allegations of pedophilia, and the monastery was closed.
There was a time when abuse, especially by religious figures, was a see-no-evil phenomenon. Law enforcement would rather have eaten lightbulbs than pursued a religious figure for child abuse.
[? 1993-2000s Hughes*, Christley*, Fallon*, Greene, Jr., Hitt* (Christ of the Hills Monastery)] - "Eastern Orthodox" Christian monastery. "Miracle" icon. Boys.
The Dallas Morning News,
By DAVID McLEMORE / ~ September 07, 2006
BLANCO, Texas - Christ of the Hills Monastery is empty now. The hum of insects and an insistent wind are the only sound.
The black-robed monks with their long beards and heavy Byzantine crosses vanished almost overnight, leaving unwashed dishes on the table and their sandals lined up neatly inside the onion-domed chapel. Gone too are the busloads of tourists and spiritual seekers who trekked to this isolated hilltop for a glimpse of the "miraculous" weeping icon of the Virgin Mary.
"It's just really sad what's happened here," said Tom Flower, a longtime friend of the monks who volunteered to watch the place. "It's really shook me up."
It shook up a lot of people in Blanco County on July 26 when local and state law officers swooped in by car and helicopter to raid the 25-year-old monastery, taking computers, photos and boxes of monastery records.
Authorities arrested founder Samuel A. Greene, also known as Father Benedict, and three other self-styled Russian Orthodox monks on charges they conspired to have sex with young boys at the monastery from 1993 to 1999. A fifth former monk charged in the indictment is in state prison on a child-sex conviction.
- "Miracle Baptist Temple"
Daily Press,
BY BEVERLY N. WILLIAMS, 247-4755, September 7, 2006
NEWPORT NEWS (VA) -- A local minister accused of failing to tell police about three girls being sexually abused was in Newport News juvenile court Wednesday to face charges of obstructing justice.
Instead of a trial, though, the case was postponed to Dec. 20 to give the Rev. Floyd Blackwell time to attend a course on what to do when people make allegations of sexual abuse to clergy members. Blackwell, pastor of Miracle Baptist Temple Church in Newport News, asked to attend the training along with other area pastors, said Stephanie Pass, a special prosecutor from Chesapeake.
The training would be similar to the kind that teachers receive each year at their schools, Pass said, but such programs also are offered at places besides schools. Which one might be able to accommodate Blackwell before December has yet to be determined, she said.
[1950s Msgr. Feeney
] - RCC. $US 10m so far. 39 claimants.
WQAD,
~ September 07, 2006
DAVENPORT (IA) -- The Davenport Diocese wants a jury to decide any sexual abuse lawsuits it receives. The diocese says instead of settling cases out of court it will defend itself. The Diocese has shelled out more than 10 million in settelments since 2004. The church says it faces financial ruin if it continues to settle cases out of court.
On Monday, a jury will hear the case of Michael Uhde of Davenport. He is suing the Davenport Diocese and Former priest Thomas Feeney. Uhde says the abuse happened in the late 50's when he served as an altar boy at Sacred Heart in Davenport. Jury selection starts at 9 a.m. in the Scott County courthouse.
The Times,
Thursday, September 07, 2006
FLEMINGTON, NEW JERSEY -- A defrocked Roman Catholic priest from Hamil ton who in 2003 was sentenced to a lengthy prison term after he was convicted of sexually molesting an altar boy has been indicted on new charges alleging he molested another child more than a decade ago, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office announced yesterday.
John M. Banko, 60, is charged in the two-count indictment with ag gravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child, the prosecutor's office said.
Authorities allege that Banko, while pastor of a church in the Diocese of Metuchen, sexually as saulted a parishioner under the age of 16 on various dates between September 1994 and May 1995.
The charges were filed by the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Unit, which launched an investigation after receiving information provided by the Diocese of Metuchen.
If convicted on both counts of the indictment, Banko could face an additional 30 years in prison and fines up to $350,000, authorities said.
[Banko 1994-95] - RCC. Another child.
Courier News,
By BRANDON LAUSCH, September 07, 2006
MILFORD (NJ) -- A former Milford priest convicted of sexually assaulting a child is facing a new set of charges for similar offenses, Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office officials said Wednesday.
The Rev. John M. Banko, who is serving 15 years at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel, has been indicted on one count of first- degree aggravated sexual assault and one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
The indictment comes after the Diocese of Metuchen provided authorities with information that was not immediately specified by the prosecutor's office. The indictment, however, claims Banko sexually assaulted a child younger than 16 between Sept. 1, 1994, and May 15, 1995, while Banko was serving as pastor at a church not named by the prosecutor's office.
If convicted of the new charges, Banko faces up to 30 years in prison and fines of $350,000.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 06:51 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Thu September 07, 2006
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont128.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
#### Clergy Sex AbuseTracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse,
Fri September 08, 2006 edition:
• Victims criticize IA bishop's threat to sell buildings
[1950s Msgr. Feeney, Bishop Soens] - RCC. $US 9m so far. 39 claimants.
Des Moines Register,
http://des moinesregister. com/apps/ pbcs.dll/ article? AID=/2006 0908/NEWS/ 60908018/ 1001/ BUSI NESS01 ;
By SHIRLEY RAGSDALE, REGISTER RELIGION EDITOR, September 8, 2006
DAVENPORT (IA) -- Leaders of a national support group for victims of clergy sex abuse said today they doubt Davenport Bishop William Franklin's contention that victims' monetary demands will force the diocese to sell its chancery office and bishop's residence.
Two of several new lawsuits against the diocese are to be tried in the coming weeks. The lawsuits were filed after October 2004, when the diocese agreed to a $9 million settlement with 37 claimants.
A lawsuit scheduled for a Sept. 11 trial names former Davenport vicar general Monsignor Thomas Feeney, who died in 1981. The second is one of several against retired Sioux City Bishop Lawrence Soens, who was a priest in the Davenport diocese early in his career. That trial is scheduled for Oct. 23.
David Clohessy, national director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and Steve Theisen, Iowa SNAP director, characterized a Sept. 4 letter from Franklin to parishioners as "damage control."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 03:51 PM]
[Mr J. Smith] - RCC. $US 17.5 m.
Cleveland Scene,
By BILL FROGAMENI, Article Published Sep 6, 2006
CLEVELAND (OH) -- When Joseph Smith left Cleveland, only to resurface in Columbus, the move had the suspicious air of so many similar reassignments within the Catholic Church. For decades, it has covered up widespread pedophilia among its priests, preferring to transfer them to distant outposts whenever things got too hot.
"No way would this amount of money have been transferred without [Pilla's] say-so."When Joseph Smith left Cleveland, only to resurface in Columbus, the move had the suspicious air of so many similar reassignments within the Catholic Church. For decades, it has covered up widespread pedophilia among its priests, preferring to transfer them to distant outposts whenever things got too hot.
But this wasn't about molestation. Smith was the chief financial officer of the Cleveland Diocese, the man charged with overseeing the tithing of some 800,000 parishioners. And when he left his post in 2004, it appeared that he hadn't been the best of custodians. Among other things, he was accused of steering $17.5 million in diocese business to Anton Zgoznik, a former diocese employee who, for roughly two years, worked under Smith in the finance office as an assistant treasurer.
[1960s ?+ Leary, Jesuits' Oregon Province, Police Department] - RCC. Lying, transferring. Males.
Newsday,
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS, Associated Press Writer, September 8, 2006
SPOKANE, Wash. -- Former Gonzaga University President John Leary was involved in the sexual abuse of boys and young men in the 1960s, but the priest's actions were covered up by Jesuit officials, the Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus said Friday.
Leary, who died in 1993, led the Jesuit-run university in Spokane from 1961 to 1969. No details about the abuse or number of victims were immediately released.
"While today, stronger safeguards and clearer policies are in place, the Jesuits wish to publicly acknowledge the failures of our history and apologize to those who have suffered," the Rev. John D. Whitney of Portland, Ore., leader of the Oregon Province, said in a news release Friday. He called the cover up "uncharacteristic."
Whitney said the Jesuits discovered notes regarding Leary's actions while preparing court documents in other cases in recent weeks.
KMOX,
Fred Bodimer Reporting, ~ September 08, 2006
ST. LOUIS (MO) -- The Saint Louis Archdiocese is quick to respond to the call from SNAP to reconsider its decision to post a half million dollar bond for Father Thomas Graham.
The Star-Ledger,
BY NYIER ABDOU, Friday, September 08, 2006
NEW JERSEY -- A former Milford priest convicted of molesting an 11-year-old altar boy has been indicted on charges of sexually assaulting another church victim while serving as a priest in Hunterdon County more than 10 years ago.
The Rev. John M. Banko, 60, of Hamilton, was indicted Wednesday on a first-degree charge of aggra vated sexual assault and second- degree endangering the welfare of a child, police said. Banko is serving a 15-year sentence at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel.
A statement issued by the Diocese of Metuchen said the allega tions against Banko were first reported to the Diocese and referred to the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office.
Police say Banko, known to his parishioners as "Father Jack," as saulted the victim, who was under the age of 16 at the time, on several occasions while Banko was pastor at the victim's church. The abuse happened on or around Sept. 1, 1994 and May 15, 1995.
St. Paul Pioneer Press,
~ September 08, 2006
MINNESOTA -- After a new search of its files, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has found records indicating that a man did come forward eight years ago alleging he was abused as a teenager in the 1970s by the Rev. Michael Bik, before the priest was ordained.
The archdiocese had said last week it hadn't heard of Bik until an announcement in July by St. John's Abbey saying Bik had been accused in 1997 of molesting two teenage boys two decades earlier. Bik is a monk of the abbey in Collegeville, Minn.
Archdiocese spokesman Dennis McGrath said a further search of records indicated that an alleged victim of Bik, requesting anonymity, met with Archbishop Harry Flynn in 1998. Flynn subsequently relayed the information to the abbey, McGrath said.
[2005 Kaye*] - Judaism. Internet "boy".
Jewish Telegraphic Agency,
~ September 08, 2006
ALEXANDRIA (VA) -- A U.S. rabbi caught in a television sting focused on Internet predators was convicted.
A judge on Wednesday found David Kaye guilty of traveling for sex with what he thought was a 13-year-old boy he met on the Internet.
The "boy" actually was a man working for a group that exposes Internet predators, and the meeting was filmed and aired on "Dateline NBC."
[Clergy of Milwaukee Archdiocese] - RCC. > 500 cases.
Catholic Online,
By Brian T. Olszewski, Catholic Herald ( www.chnonline.org ) Sep/7/2006
ST. FRANCIS, Wis. (Catholic Herald) - In early July, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan prepared Catholics in southeastern Wisconsin for the worst financial fate that could befall the Archdiocese of Milwaukee - bankruptcy.
That was the result he and his advisors anticipated if the first of 10 cases of sexual abuse of minors by two former priests of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Franklyn Becker and Siegfried Widera, went to trial in California Nov. 6.
His concerns were put to rest around 1 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 29, when, according to Archbishop Dolan, Judge Charles W. McCoy brought the plaintiffs' attorneys, him and other people representing the archdiocese into a Los Angeles County courtroom and said, "What we have been discussing is acceptable."
Those words culminated mediation that had begun at 9 a.m. Aug. 28. In addition to t
