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2005-12-04T17:09:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm furiously catching up this weekend. I appreciate all the mail I've gotten lately, and we'll get them up soon!

Continuous comment thread here.

Former pastor admits to breaking into old church

2005-12-04T09:21:00.000-05:00

TUSCOLA, Mich. - State police say a former pastor who wants to get back into the ministry must atone for his sin before preaching again.

Detectives say the suspect admitted to breaking into his old church in Tuscola County this week.

A church caretaker scared him off. Troopers used a license number obtained by the caretaker, to track him down.

Detectives have requested warrants from county prosecutors. The man is being held in the county jail.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

Kennebunk pastor will step aside amid probe

2005-12-04T09:19:00.000-05:00

KENNEBUNK, Maine — The pastor of St. Martha's Roman Catholic Church is stepping aside while the Diocese of Portland investigates an allegation that he improperly touched a 9-year-old girl six years ago. Bishop Richard Malone made the announcement regarding the Rev. Laurent Laplante to parishioners at Saturday afternoon Mass at the church off Route 1.

Malone said the 74-year-old priest has denied any wrongdoing, according to a statement released by the diocese. However, Laplante has agreed to "step aside temporarily" and cooperate with the diocese as it looks into the matter, Malone said.

He said the Rev. Maurice Lebel, a retired priest in the diocese, will fill in for Laplante, who has been with the parish for 10 years.

Laplante allegedly touched the girl in 1999, but she only recently reported it, according to the diocese's statement. The allegation was that "Fr. Laplante touched her pants on the knee and inner thigh," Malone said.

The diocese said it immediately reported the allegation to public authorities. Malone has also spoken to the family of the girl, now a high school student, and the diocese has offered her support and counseling, the diocese said.

However, Malone stressed to parishioners Saturday that the girl's claim is still only that.

"Let me be very clear, this is an allegation," the bishop's statement said. "The diocese is just beginning its investigation in the hope that greater clarity can be obtained as to what indeed happened."

Malone said Laplante's removal from public ministry is consistent with diocesan policy and is to "preserve the integrity of the process, to give potential witnesses the greatest freedom and to further the church's commitment to protect children."

Malone urged anyone with information on the case, or who has been abused by a priest or some other representative of the church, to contact the diocese.

However, Paul Kendrick, a co-founder of the Maine chapter of Voice of the Faithful, a church reform group which advocates for victims of clergy abuse, said that group advises victims of abuse to contact police first.

Kendrick, who in the past has criticized the way the diocese has responded to abuse allegations, said Saturday that in this case, "it seems (the diocese) has reacted properly to an allegation in having removed the priest."

Laplante, who is originally from Lewiston, was ordained in 1957. According to the diocese, he first served at St. Ignatius Church in Northeast Harbor in 1957 and later that year served at St. Charles Church in Brunswick. From 1959 to 1967 he served at St. Theresa Parish, Mexico. He then worked for the diocese as associate director of religious education from 1967 to 1972.

Laplante then served at St. Matthew Parish in Hampden until 1978, when he became pastor at St. Margaret Parish in Old Orchard Beach. In 1983, he was named pastor of St. Matthew, Limerick, and in 1989 he became pastor of St. Andre Parish, Biddeford, until he was assigned to Kennebunk in 1995.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

"Preacher" Bilked Investors Out of Millions

2005-12-04T09:17:00.000-05:00

A Chicago-area man who used his religious ties with pastors and fellow church members to lure them into a web that snared 144 victims in nine states with promises of big investment returns has pleaded guilty to numerous felonies and has been sentenced to serve 7.5 years in prison.

James E. Upshaw of Oak Brook has pleaded guilty to the charges against him. Although some of the charges are consolidated in the plea, Upshaw originally was indicted on four counts of theft of over $100,000, a Class One Felony; six counts of theft of over $10,000, a Class Two Felony; and 16 counts of securities fraud, a Class Three Felony, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said.

Upshaw's victims included a destitute woman who took her last dollars and won $812,000 at a casino only to be taken in by the con artist, a woman represented by famed lawyer Johnnie Cochran who won a medical malpractice settlement and a pastor who invested church funds. Several of Upshaw's victims were older than 60.

Holding himself out as a preacher, praying during his presentations and implying that his investment decisions were communicated to him by God, Upshaw duped his victims into "investing" $6.5 million with him between 2001 and 2004.

Upshaw paid out approximately $4.5 of the $6.5 million to investors as purported returns on their investments, and in some instances, as a return of principal. He used the remaining $2 million to run his business, pay himself and his wife, make a down payment on a $1 million house in Oak Brook and pay other debts.

It appears from thousands of records that only about $80,000 of the $6.5 million actually was invested.

All the investors' funds were deposited in Illinois banks. Upshaw managed to pay money to early investors by using money that came in from new investors, a classic pyramid scheme. However, his failure to invest the money and his lavish lifestyle eventually caught up with him and his checks to investors started bouncing.

Known as an "affinity fraud," in which a criminal or con artist convinces people to trust him because they share a common religious or ethnic background, Upshaw not only hit Chicago-area churches but made numerous presentations across the country to preach his special brand of investment gospel.

"James Upshaw used his charisma, charm and seeming trustworthiness to bilk nearly 150 people to hand over their hard-earned money and savings," Madigan said. "This crime is especially heinous because people truly believed he was looking out for their best interests. In fact, the only interest he was looking out for was his own."

Madigan said Upshaw operated a company called Upshaw and Associates, LLC, located in Westchester. The business provided tax return preparation and consultation services, and after 2001, investment advice.

Upshaw would pitch one of several purported investment vehicles to unwitting victims, including investments in commodities, commercial paper and silver and gold. He sold a monthly program, a quarterly program and a two-year program as well as a money market plan.

The amount of interest earned from a particular program was different for different investors depending on how much they invested, how they wanted the interest paid and how strapped Upshaw was for money.

Madigan's office separated the charges into two different indictments because one of the cases involved Upshaw promising to represent a victim in a tax matter she was involved in with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which was different from his other crimes.

In that case, Upshaw not only failed to provide the woman with the promised representation, but he also stole the money she gave him to pay the IRS, Madigan said.

While Madigan's office is seeking restitution for investors, at this time, there are no known assets with which to repay victims roughly $3 million they are owed.

In a civil case last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) seized Upshaw's home and other assets.

"A man who once had millions of other people's money now has about $700 in a bank account," Madigan said. "This is a heartbreaking, cautionary tale for potential investors to very carefully check out whom they trust their money with, no matter how that person presents himself."

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

GI gets 54-year sentence for child molestation

2005-12-04T09:06:00.000-05:00

WIESBADEN, Germany — A soldier assigned to the 1st Cavalry Regiment was sentenced to 54 years in prison for molesting a child under 16 at a general court-martial that ended Friday.

Spc. Jesse L. Brandon Jr., a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, also was stripped of all pay and benefits, reduced in rank to E-1 and given a dishonorable discharge, according to a news release by the 1st Armored Division public affairs office.

Brandon, 23, pleaded guilty to the charge, according to the news release.

Judge (Col.) Denise Lind presided in the case, which was heard by a panel of four officers and five enlisted soldiers. The sentence was the maximum allowable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Maj. Gen. Fred D. Robinson, 1st AD commander and convening authority for the case, will now review the decision.

Racial profiling feared at Wal-Mart

2005-12-03T19:17:00.000-05:00

Via The General:

TAMPA, Fla. - GAF Materials Corp. is handing out gift cards from Target as a reward to select employees this holiday season. That's because Wal-Mart, the discount store that held the business for years, last week called sheriff's deputies to apprehend a GAF manager on a bogus bad check rap while he was trying to buy this year's gift card supply.

"I keep going over and over the incident in my mind," said Reginald Pitts, the 34-year-old human resources manager for the roof material manufacturer's Tampa distribution center. "I cannot come up with any possible reason why I was treated like this except that I am black."

Wal-Mart has launched its own internal investigation of the incident, which store officials concede upfront "was handled very poorly."

"We've apologized to Mr. Pitts and are trying to find out exactly what happened so it does not happen again," said Sharon Weber, spokeswoman for the chain, based in Bentonville, Ark. "We do not tolerate racial discrimination or racial profiling at Wal-Mart."

GAF has been spending about $50,000 a year on gift cards at the Wal-Mart Supercenter at 11110 Causeway Blvd. in Brandon. For years GAF sent a white, female administrator to buy them without incident. This time, when she was on vacation the day before Thanksgiving, Pitts did the job himself. He phoned in the order for 520 cards, got the accounting department to issue Wal-Mart a $13,600 check and then encountered a royal hassle trying to exchange it for gift cards at the store.

"For a while there I thought I was going to prison," he said. "It was a totally humiliating experience."

For about two hours, store managers stalled on accepting the check for the already-printed gift cards, while Pitts stood waiting by the customer service desk. He had handed over his GAF business card, his driver's license and the toll-free numbers to GAF's bank. His accounting supervisor assured them over the phone that GAF, the nation's biggest roofing systems maker with revenues of $1.6-billion in 2004, was good for the check.

Two African-American Wal-Mart clerks watching all this from nearby told Pitts that several similarly sized transactions were made for other companies that day without delay, Pitts said. They suggested to Pitts that he was subjected to all the extra scrutiny by their bosses because he is black.

The thought made him physically ill.

Dressed in khaki pants and a blue button-down-collar dress shirt, Pitts finally got upset over the lengthy wait. He asked for the check back so he could go to another store. But store managers, who had kept huddled in a nearby office during most of his two-hour ordeal, refused to return it. The only explanation he got was that the store was having trouble "verifying" the check or who Pitts was.

Later, two Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies appeared. One grabbed Pitts by the arm. He objected to the rough handling and asked if he was being arrested.

"We need to talk with you about this forged check that you brought in here," Pitts recalled deputy Bryan Wells saying. Later Wells explained the reason for the firm arm grab: "Well, Wal-Mart called us and reported to us that you committed a felony, and that's the way we approach felons," Pitts recalled.

Within 19 minutes deputies reviewed the evidence, determined there was no grounds for a criminal charge and learned Wal-Mart would not press the issue further. Wells handed the check to Pitts.

"Our deputies didn't even see enough (of a case) to write a report," said Lt. Carmen Rivas, the shift commander. "We responded only because Wal-Mart called in a bad check report."

To road deputies, the dispatch code means a possible felony.

Wal-Mart store manager Mark Cornett, who could not be reached for comment Thursday, told Pitts that he only "did what he had to do" before saying "have a great day, sir," according to Pitts.

Pitts was so shaken that he called his boss, Dennis Branch, a regional vice president for GAF in Savannah, Ga. Branch called Cornett and confirmed Pitts' version of the story.

"I was appalled," Branch said. "He wouldn't answer questions like, "Do you call the sheriff every time you cannot verify a check?' He got very defiant. He would not apologize and eventually hung up on me. Reggie had given them the names of several GAF VPs who could vouch for him. All they did was call the GAF guard house number they found in the phone book," which was not answered.

Wal-Mart said it has opened its own investigation of the matter after Pitts called Wal-Mart's complaint line and GAF, based in Wayne, N.J., and a closely-held unit of G-I Holdings Inc., lodged a complaint. GAF, which has 26 plants around the country, employs about 125 people in Tampa.

"We are very concerned about the way Mr. Pitts was treated by Wal-Mart," said Patricia Kim, GAF vice president of employment and labor. "We are awaiting Wal-Mart's response."

Wal-Mart's critics were not surprised. Wal-Mart, like many large retail chains, has been confronted by employment and promotion discrimination suits. In Boston, one suit claims Wal-Mart engaged in a form of racial profiling to prevent shoplifting.

"There has been a string of news reports and lawsuits around the country alleging discrimination and racial profiling in Wal-Mart stores over the past several years," said Paul Blank, director of WakeUpWalMart.com, a group backed by the United Commercial and Food Workers union that launched a campaign against the nonunion retailer in April. "Only time will tell if it's by policy or by practice."

So far, four Wal-Mart officials, including a regional vice president of operations at corporate headquarters in Bentonville, have called Pitts and apologized for the incident. But no one from the store did. And nobody from the company has offered an explanation of what happened.

"They have it all on tape someplace. I have been trying to find some reasonable explanation why they did this to me other than something racial," Pitts said. "So far they have not provided one."

See also our collection of cultural-defining Wal-Mart moments.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

Pastor of Euless church faces sex charge

2005-12-02T11:41:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Cowtown for this:

EULESS, Texas - A pastor who was also a police volunteer was arrested Thursday after authorities say he molested a 21-year-old "immature" man and later was recorded offering to perform more sex acts on him.

The Rev. James Leonard Finley, 68, was stopped by Euless patrol officers just a few blocks from the man's apartment in north Euless, police said.

Finley, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church of Euless, was released from the Euless City Jail on Thursday evening after posting $1,000 bail. He is accused of public lewdness by molesting the man Thursday.

"He had befriended the kid," Euless Detective Kimberly Althouse said. "He had even helped his family pay some bills."

Police said the encounter occurred in the Euless apartment the man shares with his mother. In addition to Finley's pastoral duties, he has also been active in the city's citizens patrol and is on a list of pastors called to help to console people involved in tragic events, police said.

Upon hearing of Finley's arrest, Associate Pastor Beverly Springer said she couldn't answer questions about the church or the pastor, except to say that First United Methodist Church of Euless has 1,385 names on its membership roster.

"I have to go to the jail and find out what's going on," Springer said.

Finley will not be in the pulpit Sunday to oversee a scheduled youth musical, said Connally Dugger, district superintendent for the Mid Cities District of the Central Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Springer will be in charge until Finley meets with Bishop Ben Chamness next week to discuss the situation, Dugger said.

"The bishop's out of town," Dugger said. "I've informed him of what I know, and he said we'll figure things out when he gets back."

Finley has ministered at First United Methodist Church of Euless for the past four years and has spent most of his career ministering across Texas, Dugger said.

"I'm surprised," he said. "I spoke with him this evening, and he told me about being arrested and about the charge. But that's it. The details are troubling."

A woman at Finley's home declined to comment.

Authorities said they were investigating the possibility of other victims.

"The investigation is not over," Althouse said.

During questioning, police said, Finley denied wrongdoing, but he asked for a lawyer when police played the telephone recording.

Police said the man and Finley met in July at a Euless store where the man worked, police said. Generally, the Star-Telegram does not identify people who report being victims of a sexual assault.

Althouse described the man as "immature" and who trusted the pastor.

"He had talked to the pastor about a Web site he had created," Althouse said. "The pastor visited with the man every time he went to the store. At one point, the pastor asked for the man's telephone number."

The man thought that was odd, but he believed that it was fine because it was a pastor, Althouse said.

"The pastor later told him that he loved him," Althouse said. "Again, the man didn't think much of it because it was coming from a pastor."

Their relationship reached another level on Thursday morning, police said.

His mother was not home, the man told police, when the pastor came to his Euless apartment, bringing him breakfast. At some point, the pastor began talking about having sexual experiences, he said.

Finley is accused of fondling the man, who pleaded for him to stop, police said.

The pastor left the man crying in the apartment after the brief encounter, police said.

The young man called police and was taken to the station to discuss what happened. "He was quite upset," Althouse said.

While at the police station, officials asked the man to telephone the pastor and ask him about what he had done, authorities said. In a brief recorded conversation, the pastor offered to perform more sex acts on the Euless man because he wanted to be the first, police said.

After aiding police, the man was driven back to his Euless apartment, Althouse said.

Within minutes, the man called police to report that the pastor was at his apartment, trying again to get inside his home, Althouse said.

Finley was gone when officers arrived, but he was stopped a few blocks away, Althouse said.

Finley could be is expected to be charged with public lewdness, in the next few days, a Class A misdemeanor. If convicted, he faces a maximum of a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

Finley has been ministering for 43 years, according to a newsletter posted on the church's Web site. He is the senior pastor, with Springer assisting.

First United Methodist Church of Euless is located at 106 N. Main St.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

Former priest faces sex charges

2005-12-01T08:36:00.000-05:00

Fort Collins, Colorado - The sexual abuse scandal that has engulfed the Catholic Church has surfaced in Fort Collins, with a former priest facing charges of sexually assaulting children.

Former Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish priest Timothy Joseph Evans, 43, was advised Wednesday afternoon in Larimer County Court that he is charged with two counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and one count of contributing to the delinquency of minor, all felonies, according to court documents.

The Fort Collins police department and the Larimer County District Attorney's Office, citing a gag order placed on the case Wednesday by County Court Judge Peter Schoon, have declined to confirm that Evans is a former priest or discuss where he was arrested or the amount of his bond. A call to the Larimer County Detention Center revealed that Evans was not booked into the jail. District Court Judge Jolene Blair ordered the file sealed on Nov. 22, the day an arrest warrant for Evans was requested by police.

However, a public records search by the Fort Collins Coloradoan showed Evans lived in a residence owned by the church and that an investigation into the allegations began in 2004. Records also indicate that the alleged crimes would have been committed while Evans was serving at the church. However, it is not known if those allegations involve children from the church.

Evans served at the parish for at least four years, leaving in 2002, according to a Coloradoan archive search. Evans was ordained in 1993 and removed from parish ministry in 2002, according to a statement from Francis Maier, chancellor for the Archdiocese of Denver.

In 2003, the archdiocese removed Evans’ “priestly faculties,” which removed him from active ministry, according to Jeanette DeMalo, director of communications for the Archdiocese.

Maier’s statement said the diocese is “deeply concerned” about the charges and urged full cooperation by anyone who might have information about the case.

Deacon Jim Devlin, of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, said he hadn’t spoken to Evans since Evans left the church in 2002 but was shocked when he learned of the charges.

“It’s extremely out of character for the Father Tim, I know,” he said.
The Rev. Larry Christensen, the current pastor at the church, said he had no comment about the charges.

Evans, who remains free on bond, is scheduled to make his first appearance in District Court at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 20.

In August, Fort Collins resident Greg Roberts, 52, filed a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Denver for sexual abuse he said he had suffered at the hands of a priest 40 years ago. Roberts alleges he was sexually abused by Harold Robert White from 1965 to 1967 while White was a priest at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Sterling.

At least 16 people have come forward with allegations that White, who was ordained in 1960, molested them during his service in parishes across Colorado, including in Loveland and Sterling. White was removed from the priesthood in 2004, although details have not been made available.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

Pastor arrested in second rape case

2005-12-01T08:31:00.000-05:00

Syracuse, New York - A Syracuse pastor is back in jail after being charged with rape for the second time.

Jaree Jones, 30, of 148 Camp Ave., is accused of raping a teenage girl in Connecticut in 2000. He is to be arraigned today in Syracuse City Court.

Jones, pastor of the Refuge Temple of Syracuse, on South Avenue, was charged Wednesday with two felonies - sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor - based on a warrant out of Waterbury, Conn.

He had been charged Nov. 9 with second-degree rape and second-degree criminal sexual act after a 15-year-old Syracuse girl told police he raped her. The girl said Jones assaulted her several times between May 2004 and March 2005 at his home and church, where the girl's family attends services.

Syracuse police Sgt. Tom Connellan said a second victim came forward this week after seeing reports of Jones' arrest on the Internet. Shortly after the alleged rape, in 2000, the girl reported it to police and a warrant was issued for Jones' arrest. She was younger than 16 at the time. She called police again this week after seeing stories about Jones' Syracuse arrest.

"The victim had done some type of Internet search on Jones' name, saw that he had been arrested and contacted Waterbury police," Connellan said.

Waterbury police contacted Syracuse police, who arrested Jones at his home.

Connellan said the Connecticut warrant against Jones had been pending for several years, but police there never entered it into a national computer system. That's why Syracuse police found no record of it when they first arrested Jones.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

Murrells Inlet minister charged with child molestation

2005-12-01T08:28:00.000-05:00

Georgetown, Wisconsin - A former Murrells Inlet minister is out on bail after being charged with molesting a member of his youth group after a church field trip.

Thirty-six-year-old Troy Taylor was surrounded by his mother, pastor and other supporters during the brief hearing Wednesday.

The boy was 11 at the time of the alleged incident. He and his parents also attended the hearing.

Magistrate Elaine Elliott said she set bond because Taylor has not been convicted of previous charges.

Taylor must have no contact with the boy or his family, but he is not barred from having contact with children.

Taylor was charged Tuesday with second-degree criminal sexual misconduct with a minor.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

Bible study turns violent at Glenn County Jail

2005-11-30T09:14:00.000-05:00

WILLOWS, California - It's been said that more people have gone to war over religion than any other cause, but officials at the Glenn County Jail don't believe a fight during a Bible study class Sunday was faith-based.
"It was probably something that started in the pod, then carried over to the Bible study," said sheriff's Lt. Rich Warren.

Five inmates were reportedly attending the study session, which was being led by a pastor in the jail library.

Witnesses said Mario Martinez and Levi Pope suddenly started fighting in a corner of the room, and refused to stop when approached by four correctional officers.

The fight was physically broken up and the two men were taken back to their cells.

Officer Christa Berlier suffered minor injuries during the altercation and was taken to Glenn Medical Center in Willows for treatment of a sprained hand and small fractures.

Neither inmate required medical care, but Pope later complained of pain to his elbow and neck.

A computer and printer inside the library were damaged during the scuffle.

Pope, who had been serving time on narcotics and probation violations, was due to be released Dec. 28. Martinez, serving a 60-day sentence for a vehicular code violation, would have completed his sentence Dec. 21.

Both now face charges of felony battery on a correctional officer and destruction of jail property. The case will be sent to the Glenn County District Attorney for further action.

Warren said the jail is very careful about allowing inmates who don't know each other to interact, and said both men had been housed in the same living unit.

Weekly church-related crime update, November 14 - November 20

2005-11-29T09:12:00.000-05:00

Paul LeBrun, a Catholic priest at two suburban Phoenix, Arizona, churches, St. John Vianney Church and the Blessed Sacrament Church, was found guilty of abusing boys ranging from age 11 to 16 from 1986 to 1991, reported the Associated Press:

LeBrun stood trial on eight counts of sexual conduct with a minor and five counts of child molestation. Jurors returned the six guilty verdicts but couldn’t reach agreements on five others. One other count was dropped, and LeBrun was acquitted of one count. Prosecutors alleged during the trial that LeBrun took advantage of young boys in Arizona and Indiana whose parents were abusive or divorced or boys who were abandoned by their fathers.

LeBrun faces 81 to 110 years in prison.

Dean Robins, pastor of the Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church in St. Roase, La., was arrested for crime against nature after being accused of having sex with another man in the bathroom stall of a Saint Rose truck stop.

Gerald Fitroy Griffith, pastor of the Redemption Christian Fellowship in Woodlawn, Maryland, was charged with sexual abuse to a minor, perverted practice, sodomy, second-, third-, and fourth-degree sex offense and second-degree assault. "Police say they were contacted by five victims about alleged sexual abuse. Police say an investigation found that Griffith was sexually abusing the victims during counseling sessions in the church office," reported the Associated Press.

Keith Thomas, pastor of Vineyard (Ohio) Community Church, may be deported, reported WCPO News. Thomas, a British subject, had been convicted and served prison time on drug charges 35 years ago. The past conviction came to light when Thomas applied for a green card.

Aaron Joseph Cote, associate pastor at St. Pius V Church in Providence, Rhode Island, was suspended from his duties after Brandon Rains, a former altar boy, filed a lawsuit accusing Cote of sexually abusing him when he was 14 and 15 years old. (Cote and Rains are seen in the photo at left.)

St. John's Seminary in Camarillo, California, the only seminary operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and alma mater of Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, Diocese of Orange Bishop Tod Brown and other prominent prelates, has produced a disproportionate number of alleged sexual abusers, reported the Los Angeles Times:

About 10% of St. John's graduates reported to have been ordained in the Los Angeles Archdiocese since 1950 — 65 of roughly 625 — have been accused of molesting minors, according to a review of ordination announcements, lawsuits, published reports and the archdiocese's 2004 list of alleged abusers. In two classes — 1966 and 1972 — a third of the graduates were later accused of molestation.

Wendell Johnson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, resigned as police investigated the alleged embezzlement of church money. The missing money was brought to the attention of police by members of the church's board of directors.

Dong Wan Park, pastor of Hope Korean Church in Tacoma, Washington, charged with filing fraudulent visa applications for two men he said were coming to the U.S. to work at his church, reported the Seattle Times.

Thomas Graham, who was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison in August on charges related to sodomizing a boy in the late 1970s in the rectory of St. Louis' Old Cathedral but who remains free on bail while he appleals, has been living in a retirement home next to a child-care facility, apparently in violation of state law, reported the Associated Press. After members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) made Graham's presence public, the St. Louis Archdiocese said it had moved Graham to a different facility, away from children.

Michael Edwin Wempe, the former chaplain at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, admitted through his lawyer that he had molested 13 boys in the 1970s and 1980s, reported the Los Angeles Times.

Edward J. Smith, the former the campus minister of Archmere Academy in Claymont, Delaware, was accused of sexually molesting a teenager at the school by the alleged victim, Lt. Cmdr. Kenneth J. Whitwell, a Naval healthcare administrator and optometrist at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va., reported Delaware State News.

See the entire never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

Priest sentenced to eight months in jail on child porn conviction

2005-11-29T08:41:00.000-05:00

BARNSTABLE, Mass. --A Roman Catholic priest who pleaded guilty to storing hundreds of images of child pornography on his computer and coercing a 16-year-old boy into filming himself performing a sex act was sentenced Monday to eight months in jail.

Prosecutors had recommended a three-year prison sentence for the Rev. Stephen A. Fernandes, 55, who was suspended as pastor of Our Lady Fatima Church in New Bedford.

Bristol District Attorney Paul Walsh criticized Superior Court Judge Robert Kane for handing Fernandes a lighter sentence. He will serve the eight-month sentence at a jail on Martha's Vineyard and is eligible for parole in three months.

"The court may see this as a victimless crime, but I don't," Walsh said in a written statement. "When I look at the terrible pictures of more than 500 kids, I see 500 victims."

Kane did not immediately return a telephone message left with his secretary.

Fernandes, who was arrested last November, pleaded guilty on Sept. 26 to charges of possession and distribution of child pornography and posing a child in a state of nudity.

Investigators found more than 500 images of child pornography, including 114 video files, on his computer after he sent the laptop to a computer servicing company in Fall River.

Fernandes also allegedly used an instant messaging service to pretend he was a 19-year-old woman and trick a 16-year-old boy into filming himself performing a sex act.

The Diocese of Fall River, in a statement released Monday, called the case "profoundly disturbing."

"Parishioners expect -- and rightly so -- that their priests will live lives of certain virtue and it is disturbing when they fall short, and particularly jarring when their actions are criminal," the statement said.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

Charges shed light on church: Seattle `cult' is likely hiding members accused of sex abuse, police say

2005-11-29T08:29:00.000-05:00

More on the story below:

Seattle - The shadowy history of an Eastside church, recognized by many as a cult, has come into focus with new charges of child molestation and an admission by one former member that he molested an 8-year-old boy.

Steven A. Belzak told King County prosecutors that he began sexually abusing an 8-year-old boy at a home in Sammamish for male members of the Tridentine Latin Rite Church. In his confession, he said the abuse went on for three years, beginning in 2000.

Another church member, 20-year-old Justin Kirkland, is charged with first-degree child rape and first-degree child molestation. And last week prosecutors charged a third man, Michael W. Muratore, 21, with first-degree child molestation.

Kirkland and Muratore remain at large, and investigators believe the so-called cult that reared them is protecting them from prosecution.

``It's most likely that the cult is shielding or hiding them,'' said King County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. John Urquhart. ``This breakaway group is not recognized by the (Roman Catholic) church. They're a cult.''

Belzak, now 20, pleaded guilty earlier this month to two counts of child molestation. He is scheduled for sentencing Monday in juvenile court. Prosecutors say they'll recommend a judge send Belzak to intensive sexual deviancy treatment before determining how much time he should serve.

According to charging papers, the victim's mother went to Bellevue police in April 2004 after her son told her he had been molested while living at the Tridentine Latin Rite Church home in Sammamish.

Since her son was 2, the woman told detectives, he had been raised by the men and other boys who lived at the house. She said the church was a cult, and she was allowed to visit her son only twice a year.

She spent those years living with her daughters and other female members of the church at a home in Bellevue. It wasn't until she left the church last year that she learned of her son's abuse, prosecutors said.

The Journal could not reach the now-13-year-old victim or his mother, but she told KING 5 News this week how she learned her son was abused.

``They were raping him and they were telling him that it was OK, that that's what everybody does,'' she said. ``It's very hard to admit that these people that I gave my son to, that I trusted, are the very ones that destroyed his innocence.''

The woman's son told detectives and prosecutors that Muratore was the first to touch him when he was 7 or 8. Three weeks later, he said, Belzak touched him and made him take his clothes off while other boys were sleeping in the room.

He said Kirkland later began molesting him, as well. The abuse went on until he was 11, he said.

On one occasion, he was shut inside a closet with Belzak, when Belzak began touching him. A man who lived with the boys caught them and spanked them both.

Urquhart said there are no allegations of organized or ritual abuse in the church, and the acts didn't occur under the direction of any of the group's leaders. Still, investigators are concerned that sexual abuse of children might be ongoing, and they suspect the church is covering it up.

The church, also is known as ``Fatima Crusaders,'' has refused to cooperate with detectives, Urquhart said, and leaders of the cult have even denied the existence of Muratore.

In fact, many of the children in the group have no birth certificate, Social Security number or any type of documentation. That's why it has taken more than a year to charge Muratore.

``We had a name but it took us a long time to figure out who he was,'' Urquhart said.

In a report about the group published Nov. 25, 2002, in the Seattle Times, Muratore's father and aunt spoke about their decision to join the church.

A truck driver and father of nine, Michael E. Muratore, 48, said he and his wife left a mainstream Christian church when it began to feel more like social club.

``After three or four months, you learned everything,'' Muratore said. ``It left us with an empty feeling. There had to be more to it.''

The man said his faith in God ``gives total purpose to life. When you have a faith -- especially a purpose that says this is a means to an end, God provides opportunities.''

The men of Tridentine Latin Rite Church have since abandoned the house in Sammamish, and police don't know where they're living now.

Police say about 100 members of the Tridentine Latin Rite Church have lived in Renton, Bellevue and Issaquah for the last several years.

The church has no published address or telephone number, and the Journal was unable to reach any representative of Tridentine Latin Rite Church for comment.

The group should not be confused with other sects that broke away from the Catholic Church following global revisions in the way Catholics worship with The Second Vatican Council -- or Vatican II -- in 1965. The changes were intended to broaden the church's reach and appeal.

Some groups formed new churches in opposition to Vatican II ruling to modernize the traditional Tridentine mass by replacing Latin with local vernacular and instructing priests to turn their backs on the holy altar during Mass.

A lay church volunteer who helps organize a weekly traditional Latin mass at St. Joseph Chapel in downtown Seattle, Jason King of Mercer Island, said he and his organization, Una Voce of Western Washington, already have been mistaken for the cult. The difference, he said, is that he is a Roman Catholic and the Mass he organizes is fully recognized by the archdiocese of Western Washington.

``This cult is separate and distinct from the Catholic Church,'' King said. ``It's not recognized by the archdiocese. This cult doesn't even believe that Pope Benedict (XVI) is the pope. They don't believe there's been a pope since Vatican II in 1965.''

At the heart of the mysterious group lies its founder, Francis Konrad Schuckardt, a charismatic leader who considers himself to be the true pope, according to members of the group.

The group's history, as outlined in the book ``The Smoke of Satan: Conservative and Traditionalist Dissent in Contemporary American Catholicism'' by Michael Cuneo is marked by schism, controversy and police raids.

A graduate of O'Dea High School, Schuckardt was one of the original defectors of the church, following Vatican II. The vocal traditionalist was ousted from his congregation and spent decades cultivating a following throughout the Northwest.

Members of his church have described a harsh life with hours of prayer each day. Women and girls must cover their heads and wear long skirts. There have been reports of malnutrition and severe punishment such as shaving the heads of girls and forcing some to kneel during meals.

Former members say the church uses fear to discourage its young followers from running away.

In May 1987, a police SWAT team in California raided a house where the group was staying. They were searching for six children in two separate parental abduction cases. They didn't find the children, but they did find a cache of prescription pain killers, several guns, $75,000 in cash and records of numerous international bank accounts.

The six children turned up elsewhere a few days later, after a new investigation into the cult had begun.

Urquhart said investigators have found no sign of Schuckardt in more than two years. Most likely, he said, Schuckardt is dead, although his church insists he is alive.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

Man in break-away Catholic cult wanted in child-rape case turns himself in

2005-11-29T08:26:00.000-05:00

Seattle - A man accused of taking part in a five-year pattern of child rape on the Sammamish Plateau turned himself in to authorities Monday and is being held in the King County Jail.

Justin Kirkland, 20, was booked at the jail in downtown Seattle shortly before 3 a.m. and is being held in lieu of $75,000 bail, according to jail records.

Kirkland was charged Dec. 23, 2004, in King County Superior Court with first-degree child rape in connection with incidents that allegedly took place between 1998 and 2003 at a home in the 21500 block of Southeast 39th Street that police said was being used as a "religious home," according to charging papers. Other accounts have described it as part of a breakaway sect of the Catholic Church.

The charge was brought after an investigation that began when a woman told Bellevue police in April 2004 that her son had been sexually abused while at the home, court records indicate.

The woman told police the home was the location of a religious cult where only males were allowed to live, the charging papers say. She said she was allowed to visit her son only twice a year.

In May 2004, her son told police the sexual abuse began when he was between 7 and 9 years old, and he identified alleged assailants at the home, according to the charging papers. He said he had lived at the house five to six years.

King County detectives questioned some suspects in July 2004. In further investigations this year, the woman who initiated the investigation took a detective to an address in the 13600 block of 197th Avenue Southeast in Renton, where she said she knew relatives of one of the alleged abusers lived "because they were in the church together," court documents say. The woman told police she had "escaped from the church" on Oct. 6, 2003, according to the papers.

Department of Social and Health Services records indicated one of the children at the home indeed lived at the address on Southeast 39th Street, which was identified as the St. Francis Seminary. That and other information allowed the filing of amended charges this month identifying an additional suspect, records show.

Besides Kirkland, one other defendant has been arrested in connection with the assaults, according to court records. The Issaquah man, now 19, was 17 when he was arrested in September 2004. He pleaded guilty to child rape in November 2004, but has been held for evaluation, with juvenile-court jurisdiction recently being extended to Dec. 31 of this year.

No one was at the Sammamish home Monday. No trial date has been set for Kirkland.

According to a Seattle Times story of November 2002, the sect members worshipped in a church using the name Tridentine Latin Rites. The members are among thousands of disaffected Catholics who broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1960s after the Vatican adopted changes to broaden the church's impact and appeal, according to the reports.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

Pastor Pleads Guilty To Sex Charges

2005-11-29T08:13:00.000-05:00

HEBRON, Ohio -- A Central Ohio minister accused of sexually abusing two teenage girls in his congregation changed his plea in court Monday.

Lonny "Joe" Aleshire, 35, was the associate pastor at the Licking Baptist Church in Hebron.

In February, Aleshire, who has a wife and four children, pleaded not guilty to six counts of unlawful sex with a minor and one count each of rape and sexual battery.

Aleshire pleaded guilty to reduced charges and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Judge Jon Spahr also labeled Aleshire a sexually-oriented offender.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

Ex-minister faces 4th sex-abuse count

2005-11-29T08:07:00.000-05:00

Myrtle Beach, S.C. - A former Murrells Inlet minister already facing accusations of molesting children in Georgetown County was arrested Thursday in Williamsburg County and charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.

Troy Taylor, 36, of Murrells Inlet, also faces a charge of second-degree criminal sexual misconduct with a minor and two counts of lewd act on a minor because of previous accusations.

He was released from the Williamsburg County jail Thursday on a $50,000 cash surety bond, a jail official said.

Taylor is being represented by lawyer Scott Joye, who has said Taylor is not guilty.

It is the fourth time since 2003 Taylor has been charged with molestation-related counts.

Taylor was charged last week because a man who was once part of a youth group at Low Country Community Church in Murrells Inlet said he was molested when he was 11.

The latest charge stems from allegations by the same man.

The man said Taylor, the former minister and youth leader at the church, molested him after a church field trip to Huntington Beach State Park in 1999.

The man is now 19 years old.

Taylor surrendered to the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office on Nov. 22 and was released from the Georgetown County jail on a $20,000 surety bond.

Taylor was taken to the Williamsburg County jail to face another charge on Thursday, jail officials said.

The man told police he was molested in Williamsburg County in 1998 when Taylor took the youth group on a camping trip to the Black River, near Andrews.

The incident took place after other campers were sleeping, the police report said.

It said Taylor put his hand over the boy's mouth and the boy was made to fondle Taylor, then have intercourse with him.

Taylor then warned the boy not to say anything about what happened, the report said.

In 2003, Taylor was charged with committing a lewd act on a minor for incidents that police reports said took place in 1988 and 1991. A trial date has not been set for those charges.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

Traditional Values Coalition's Rev. Lou Sheldon Accepted Big Bucks to Support Gambling, Mislead Followers

2005-11-28T10:02:00.000-05:00

Ian sends us this:

How a Lobbyist Stacked the Deck

Lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his team were beginning to panic.

An anti-gambling bill had cleared the Senate and appeared on its way to passage by an overwhelming margin in the House of Representatives. If that happened, Abramoff's client, a company that wanted to sell state lottery tickets online, would be out of business.

But on July 17, 2000, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act went down to defeat, to the astonishment of supporters who included many anti-gambling groups and Christian conservatives.

A senior aide to then-Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) helped scuttle the bill in the House. The aide, Tony C. Rudy, 39, e-mailed Abramoff internal congressional communications and advice, according to documents and the lobbyist's former associates.

Rudy received favors from Abramoff. He went on two luxury trips with the lobbyist that summer, including one partly paid for by Abramoff's client, eLottery Inc. Abramoff also arranged for eLottery to pay $25,000 to a Jewish foundation that hired Rudy's wife as a consultant, according to documents and interviews. Months later, Rudy himself was hired as a lobbyist by Abramoff.

The vote that day in July was just one part of an extraordinary yearlong effort by Abramoff on behalf of eLottery, a small gambling services company based in Connecticut. Details of that campaign, reconstructed from dozens of interviews as well as from e-mails and financial records obtained by The Washington Post, provide the most complete account yet of how one of Washington's most powerful lobbyists leveraged his client's money to influence Congress.

The work Abramoff did for eLottery is one focus of a wide-ranging federal corruption investigation into his dealings with members of Congress and government agencies. Abramoff is under indictment in another case in connection with an allegedly fraudulent Florida business deal.

Abramoff had deep roots in the conservative movement and rose to prominence by helping Republicans tap traditionally Democratic K Street lobbyists for campaign dollars. But in the eLottery fight, he employed a win-at-any-cost strategy that went so far as to launch direct-mail attacks on vulnerable House conservatives.

Abramoff quietly arranged for eLottery to pay conservative, anti-gambling activists to help in the firm's $2 million pro-gambling campaign, including Ralph Reed, former head of the Christian Coalition, and the Rev. Louis P. Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition. Both kept in close contact with Abramoff about the arrangement, e-mails show. Abramoff also turned to prominent anti-tax conservative Grover Norquist, arranging to route some of eLottery's money for Reed through Norquist's group, Americans for Tax Reform.

At one point, eLottery's backers even circulated a forged letter of support from Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R).

Rudy declined to comment for this report. A spokesman for Reed -- now a candidate for lieutenant governor of Georgia -- said that he and his associates are unaware that any money they received came from gambling activities. Sheldon said that he could not remember receiving eLottery money and that he was unaware that Abramoff was involved in the campaign to defeat the bill. Norquist's group would say only that it had opposed the gambling ban on libertarian grounds.

Abramoff's lawyer declined requests for a comment.

DeLay, an outspoken opponent of gambling, was an instrument, witting or unwitting, in eLottery's campaign, documents and interviews show. Along with Rudy, he was a guest on a golfing trip to Scotland. As majority whip, he cast a rare vote against his party on the Internet gambling bill and for the rest of the year helped keep the measure off the floor. He told leadership colleagues that another vote could cost Republican seats in the hard-fought 2000 elections.

A statement from DeLay's lawyer said his votes "are based on sound public policy and principle."

The Scotland trip is one aspect of the gambling matter being investigated by the corruption task force. The trip took place more than five years ago, which ordinarily would be beyond the five-year statute of limitations on certain possible corruption charges. But legal sources say prosecutors have obtained a waiver of the time limit because of the need to gather information abroad.

Desperate Company

Like many Internet companies emerging from the overheated 1990s, eLottery's money was drying up in the spring of 2000.

The company was founded in 1993 on the gamble that even a small fraction of the market for helping states and others put lotteries online could be worth a billion dollars a year. But the company faced many obstacles.

In 1998, the Justice Department had used existing gambling laws to force eLottery to shut down its first online lottery venture, with an Idaho Indian tribe. ELottery had not earned a dime since.

The Senate had passed the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act in late 1999, aiming to make it easier for authorities to stop online gambling sites. With a companion bill by Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte (R-Va.) advancing in the House in the spring of 2000, eLottery was desperate to ramp up its Washington lobbying. It had to sell off assets to stay afloat and raise cash.

In May, eLottery hired Abramoff's firm, Preston Gates & Ellis LLP, for $100,000 a month, according to lobbying reports. In the following months, Abramoff directed the company to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to various organizations, faxes, e-mails and court records show. The groups included Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform; Sheldon's Traditional Values Coalition; companies affiliated with Reed; and a Seattle Orthodox Jewish foundation, Toward Tradition.

Robert Daum, a former eLottery official, said he could not recall the names of the groups that received the payments but noted that all the money spent by the company at Abramoff's direction was for the purpose of defeating the Internet bill.

"We were willing to pursue all legitimate means to ensure that outcome, as people do all the time in Washington," Daum said. "Nothing more, nothing less."

Arrayed against eLottery were many leading groups on the religious right who were pushing to ban Internet gambling, including the Moral Majority and the Christian Coalition. James Dobson, influential leader of Focus on the Family, praised the bill in an opinion piece for the New York Times.

Still, according to his strategy e-mails, Abramoff thought he could turn conservatives in the House against the bill. He seized on some compromise language in the bill making exceptions for jai alai and horse racing.

Abramoff's plan: argue that the legislation and its exemptions would actually expand legalized gambling.

Check in the Mail

To reach the House conservatives, Abramoff turned to Sheldon, leader of the Orange County, Calif. - based Traditional Values Coalition, a politically potent group that publicly opposed gambling and said it represented 43,000 churches. Abramoff had teamed up with Sheldon before on issues affecting his clients. Because of their previous success, Abramoff called Sheldon "Lucky Louie," former associates said.

Checks and e-mails obtained by The Post show that Abramoff recruited Reed to join Sheldon in the effort to pressure members of Congress. Reed had left the Christian Coalition in 1997 and started a political consulting firm in Georgia.

Abramoff asked eLottery to write a check in June 2000 to Sheldon's Traditional Values Coalition (TVC). He also routed eLottery money to a Reed company, using two intermediaries, which had the effect of obscuring the source.

The eLottery money went first to Norquist's foundation, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), and then through a second group in Virginia Beach called the Faith and Family Alliance, before it reached Reed's company, Century Strategies. Norquist's group retained a share of the money as it passed through.

"I have 3 checks from elot: (1) 2 checks for $80K payable to ATR and (2) 1 check to TVC for $25K," Abramoff's assistant Susan Ralston e-mailed him on June 22, 2000. "Let me know exactly what to do next. Send to Grover? Send to Rev. Lou?"

Minutes later Abramoff responded, saying that the check for Sheldon's group should be sent directly to Sheldon, but that the checks for Norquist required special instructions: "Call Grover, tell him I am in Michigan and that I have two checks for him totaling 160 and need a check back for Faith and Family for $150K."

According to the e-mails, Reed provided the name and address where Norquist was supposed to send the money: to Robin Vanderwall at a location in Virginia Beach.

Vanderwall was director of the Faith and Family Alliance, a political advocacy group that was founded by two of Reed's colleagues and then turned over to Vanderwall, Vanderwall said and records show.

Vanderwall, a former Regent University Law School student and Republican operative, was later convicted of soliciting sex with minors via the Internet and is serving a seven-year term in Virginia state prison.

In a telephone interview, Vanderwall said that in July 2000 he was called by Reed's firm, Century Strategies, alerting him that he would be receiving a package. When it came, it contained a check payable to Vanderwall's group for $150,000 from Americans for Tax Reform, signed by Norquist. Vanderwall said he followed the instructions from Reed's firm -- depositing the money and then writing a check to Reed's firm for an identical amount.

"I was operating as a shell," Vanderwall said, adding that he was never told how the money was spent. He said: "I regret having had anything to do with it."

Abramoff had previously paid Reed's consulting firms to whip up Christian opposition to Indian casinos and a proposed Alabama state lottery that would compete with the gambling business of Abramoff's tribal clients, sometimes using Norquist's foundation as a pass-through, a Senate investigation has found.

A spokeswoman for Reed said Century Strategies had no business relationship with eLottery. She said Reed did anti-gambling work for Abramoff but was assured by Abramoff's firm "that our activities would not be funded by revenues derived from gambling activities."

Norquist declined to be interviewed. His spokesman did not answer questions about the movement of funds.

Another check issued in 2000 by eLottery at Abramoff's direction wound up helping to fund the Scotland golfing trip attended by Rudy and DeLay. On May 25, 2000, as the trip got underway, the company sent $25,000 to the National Center for Public Policy Research, where Abramoff was a board member at the time. Along with money from another Abramoff client, that payment covered most of the Scotland travel costs, according to records and interviews.

DeLay has said that he thought the National Center sponsored and paid for the trip.

A few weeks after the golfing trip, Abramoff took Rudy to the U.S. Open in Pebble Beach, Calif. They traveled aboard a corporate jet belonging to SunCruz Casinos, a Florida cruise line Abramoff was negotiating to buy, according to a participant who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation. Rudy did not report this trip in his House travel records.

Abramoff listed Rudy as a financial reference that summer in the SunCruz purchase. That transaction ultimately led to the indictment two months ago of Abramoff and a business partner on charges that they had forged a $23 million wire transfer.

Working the Bill

In early June 2000, DeLay had not yet taken a position on the Internet gambling ban. But his aide, Rudy, was already providing advice to Abramoff about how to kill it.

Five days after Rudy and DeLay got back from the Scotland trip, Rudy sent an emergency message to Abramoff from a wireless device.

"911 gaming," Rudy typed on June 8.

He followed up with a suggestion that Abramoff's team get a conservative House caucus to seek a meeting with the chamber's top leaders, Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and Majority Leader Richard K. Armey (R-Tex.) -- a key supporter of the bill. Abramoff forwarded the idea to his team members. "Message from Tony Rudy. Don't share it please. However we should take his advice."

Sheldon was also hard at work, holding news conferences and buttonholing House conservatives to argue against the bill. On July 10, he called Abramoff's group saying he had run into resistance from the staff of an influential member who still favored the bill.

"Lou just called," team member Shawn Vasell told colleagues in an e-mail. "We need to get together and draft a response for Lou." Kevin Ring, Vasell's associate, responded: "This is a disaster."

Abramoff weighed in minutes later, saying he would get Reed to ramp up efforts. "I just chatted with Ralph. We are going to have to go on the air nationally on radio. We must get the conservatives back on this or we are doomed," he told the team.

Abramoff got another strategy e-mail the next morning from Rudy. Rudy was on DeLay's staff but wrote "we" as though he belonged to Abramoff's team. "I think we should get weyrich to get like 10 groups to sign a letter to denny and armey on gaming bill," Rudy wrote, referring to Free Congress Foundation Chairman Paul M. Weyrich and the House leaders.

Sheldon got a private meeting with DeLay on July 13. "I told him I strongly opposed the bill," Sheldon told Congressional Quarterly at the time.

A former DeLay staff member who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, "Lou was a credible face" because Sheldon's religious credentials carried some weight with conservative voters.

DeLay then told House Republican leaders that he was prepared to go against the anti-gambling bill.

The Bush Forgery

Still, the Abramoff team was worried about the vote. So the eLottery forces pressed the argument that the Internet bill was an unfair infringement of the right of individual states to sell lottery tickets online. Amid the frenzied lobbying, a potentially influential letter making that case began circulating on Capitol Hill. It was purportedly signed by Jeb Bush.

"While I am no fan of gambling, I see this bill as a violation of states' rights and I am looking to prevent this encroachment," the letter said.

A surprised Hill staffer called the Florida governor's office, and the letter was exposed as a forgery.

Months later, a little-noted investigation by Florida authorities resulted in a confession from a Tampa man hired by a division of Shandwick Worldwide, a public affairs company. Shandwick was working on the eLottery account with Abramoff's team. The Florida man, Matthew Blair, told authorities in a plea bargain agreement that he was hired to get letters opposing the bill from the governor and others. He said he created the forged letter on his own after he was unable to obtain one from Bush's office.

Brian Berger, then a Shandwick official, said his firm had been hired to produce the letters by Abramoff associate Michael Scanlon, a former DeLay press aide. Berger said in a recent interview that although he and Scanlon knew Blair, they did not sanction the forgery. "Essentially, we had a bad operative," Berger said.

But the letter still had an impact. It fed the confusion about the bill in the days before the floor vote. Goodlatte, the sponsor, had more than enough votes for his carefully crafted compromise. Yet he became worried that amendments might be introduced during the debate that could kill the bill.

One way to avoid a floor fight is to place a bill on the suspension calendar, which is supposed to be for non-controversial legislation; it suspends the usual rules, banning amendments and limiting debate. But doing so would require a two-thirds majority for passage.

Goodlatte agreed to the suspension calendar approach because he thought he could get the two-thirds. "We were told [by House leaders] to bring it up on the suspension calendar so you won't have to deal with all these amendments," said a member of Goodlatte's staff who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

That opening was exploited by the Abramoff team with Rudy's help -- fewer votes would be needed to stop the bill.

On July 17, the House debated for about 40 minutes. Rumors continued to fly about the Bush letter. Some members remained confused about the bill's contents. About 30 did not vote. "There was a lot of misinformation," said a congressional staff member who worked on the bill.

Still, Goodlatte had reason to be optimistic because nine out of 10 bills on the suspension calendar pass.

But Abramoff's efforts had eroded just enough votes. The roll call -- 245 in favor, 159 against -- left Goodlatte 25 members short. The bill failed.

'All Systems Go'

The eLottery team was euphoric. Abramoff lobbyist Patrick Pizzella, who was in the Capitol to watch the vote, wrote in an e-mail to colleagues the next day that he saw Sheldon celebrating the victory, too. "There was lucky Louie out front hi-fiving with some lobbyists," said Pizzella, who the following year was named an assistant secretary of labor. Others partied across from the Capitol at the restaurant Tortilla Coast.

Supporters of the Internet gambling ban, though, were outraged. They vowed to resurrect it, perhaps as part of an appropriations bill.

The Christian Coalition issued an "action alert." Dobson took to the airwaves, saying, "I'm just sick about what the Republican leadership is doing with regard to gambling." He urged listeners to contact DeLay and other House leaders to revive the measure.

Abramoff's team realized there was no way to win enough support for a simple majority because they were down more than two dozen votes. Instead, they had to persuade the leadership to keep the bill off the House floor, despite intense pressure from Goodlatte and another backer, Rep. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (R-La.) .

On July 21, DeLay's legislative director, Kathryn Lehman, e-mailed Rudy: "Goodlatte and Tauzin asked Tom [DeLay] what they needed to do to get his vote, and Tom said to talk to you!"

Rudy immediately forwarded the e-mail to Abramoff asking for help.

Documents show that Abramoff's strategy was to dispatch Sheldon to pressure about 10 social conservatives in their home districts, accusing them of being soft on gambling for supporting Goodlatte's bill. Abramoff's group hoped those members would stir fears among House leaders that another vote on the gambling bill could threaten those members and thus the GOP's thin 13-seat majority.

On Aug. 18, Abramoff faxed a message to eLottery's Daum ordering more money for Reed's activities. "I have chatted with Ralph and we need to get the funding moving on the effort in the 10 congressional districts," Abramoff wrote. "Please get me a check as soon as possible for $150,000 made payable to American Marketing Inc. This is the company Ralph is using."

ELottery issued the requested check to American Marketing on Aug. 24 and delivered it to Abramoff at Preston Gates. Five days later, Abramoff e-mailed Reed. The subject, "Internet Gambling: And so it continues." The message asked, "Where are we? You got the check, no? Are things moving?"

Reed answered the next day: "1. Yes, they got it. 2. Yes, all systems go."

Targeting 'Our Guys'

Weeks later, a political mailer from Sheldon's group landed like a small bomb in the North Alabama district of Rep. Robert Aderholt.

The Republican was a member of the religious right's Values Action Team in Congress, a champion of public displays of the Ten Commandments and a vigorous gambling opponent. But now, in the midst of a tough reelection race, Aderholt was accused of being soft on gambling.

"Congressman Robert Aderholt voted with them in support of HR #3125 with the law the gamblers want on horse and dog racing," said Sheldon's mailer. Sheldon urged voters to call Aderholt's Washington office "and ask him to vote NO this time." Aderholt's opponent quickly incorporated Sheldon's attack in an ad of his own.

The bulk rate stamp on the mailing said it was paid for by American Marketing. Records show that the company is run by Robert Randolph, the president of Reed's direct-marketing subsidiary. A spokeswoman for Reed said that American Marketing is "a different company" and that she could not respond to questions about it.

Sheldon's fliers also targeted Rep. J.C. Watts of Oklahoma, then the House GOP deputy whip, and vulnerable incumbents, including Rep. James E. Rogan of California, one of the managers of the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, and Rep. Robin Hayes of North Carolina.

Angry House members targeted by Sheldon complained to the leadership. "Certainly our displeasure was relayed on up the chain, so to speak," said Andrew Duke, the chief of staff for Hayes.

Abramoff's willingness to jeopardize Republican House seats startled his lobbying team, some of whom had come from DeLay's office. "Once we started talking about taking out our guys, I got worried," said a former associate of Abramoff's who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The same former Preston Gates lobbyist said Rudy played a key role in getting House leaders to pay attention to the plight of members under attack.

"Tony would say to members, 'Oh, you're getting phone calls on this? I better go tell the whip.' Lou Sheldon sending a letter is not going to do anything unless you have somebody on the inside. Tony exaggerated to leadership how backing the bill could hurt those members," the former Abramoff associate said.

The outrage prompted Sheldon to back off in some of the races. In Aderholt's district, he issued a letter praising the congressman and claiming that his previous mailer had been mistakenly distributed. In Rogan's district, he stopped pressuring the incumbent and, instead, attacked his challenger as "a champion of the homosexual agenda."

Sheldon said in an interview this week that he recalled little about his efforts against the bill in 2000. He said he did not remember receiving a $25,000 check from eLottery, but added that it is possible that his organization did receive it. He said he remembered some money coming in to pay for fliers he had printed and mailed to congressional districts to persuade members to oppose the bill.

"I wasn't aware the money was coming from them [eLottery]," Sheldon said. "I don't think I ever saw the check. It came in, and we paid the bill for some of the printing."

Sheldon also said he had no idea that Abramoff was lobbying against the bill or that he was working for eLottery.

"This is all tied to Jack?" Sheldon said. "I'm shocked out of my socks."

Chilling Effect

Rudy, who had known Abramoff for years, went to work for Abramoff when the lobbyist switched law firms, to Greenberg Traurig LLP, in January 2001.

Rudy's wife, Lisa, was also drawn into Abramoff's orbit. She was paid fees by Toward Tradition, the Seattle-based Orthodox Jewish foundation that often allies with the Christian right on social issues. The foundation is headed by longtime Abramoff friend Rabbi Daniel Lapin and the lobbyist served as chairman of the board.

Toward Tradition was issued a $25,000 check dated Aug. 24, 2000, by eLottery. A copy of the check was obtained by The Post. Daum, the former eLottery official, said he could not remember the check but said all funds Abramoff directed him to spend were intended to defeat the Internet gambling bill.

Lapin said in an interview that he could not remember a check from eLottery but that the company could have made donations to his foundation. He said that any such donation would have been separate from his foundation's hiring of Liberty Consulting, a political firm founded and operated by Lisa Rudy.

"Lisa Rudy worked for us for six months -- six to nine months -- to organize groundwork for a conference," Lapin said. He said she was paid more than $25,000 but was unsure exactly how and when Lisa Rudy was hired. Lapin said her work could have been for an interfaith conference held in Washington in mid-September 2000. That conference, which opened a few weeks after the eLottery check was sent to Toward Tradition, featured such speakers as DeLay, Sheldon and Norquist.

Rudy declined to comment on the Toward Tradition contract and said that his wife was not available for a comment.

A month after the interfaith conference, the gambling bill's sponsors agitated to get House leaders to let them attach the measure to an end-of-the-year spending bill.

But Sheldon's campaign in conservative districts had the desired chilling effect on GOP leaders. That became clear on Oct. 24, when House Republicans met to discuss their year-end strategy.

What happened at the meeting was relayed to Abramoff by a former associate, David H. Safavian, who was then a lobbyist for a coalition of online gambling companies and who this month was indicted for allegedly lying to federal investigators in the Abramoff probe.

DeLay, Safavian wrote in an e-mail, "spoke up and noted that the bill could cost as many as four House seats. At that point, there was silence. Not even Rep. Dick Armey (R-Texas) -- our previous opponent -- said a word."

When Congress prepared to adjourn in 2000 without revisiting the gambling bill, Safavian was ecstatic. He sent his clients an e-mail, which was posted on the Web site of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association.

"Relax a bit," Safavian wrote. "Policy beat politics once again. (Maybe the American system isn't really that bad.) The good guys won."

Researchers Alice Crites and Julie Tate contributed to this report

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Disgraced priest dies

2005-11-27T11:08:00.000-05:00

Mobile, Alabama - Alex Sherlock, forced to resign as an active Catholic priest in the wake of sexual abuse claims against him, was a Biblical scholar and a superb fundraiser, said those who remember him fondly.

Sherlock's body was found at his house in Mobile on Wednesday. Authorities said his death was from natural causes. He was 65.

While friends and relatives attended a funeral for him in Mobile on Friday, a former member of his Montgomery congregation and a fellow priest who attended the same seminary described Sherlock in positive terms.

"In the time I knew him, he was a great guy and a great minister," said Carl Barranco of St. Peter's Catholic Church. "It was most unfortunate to have heard about his past."

A Montgomery native, Sherlock was removed from his St. Peter's pastorate 21/2 years ago and transferred to Mobile after accusations of sexual improprieties with young boys in the Port City.

The Mobile Archdiocese, in a statement following Sherlock's death, said: "Though entirely apart from active priestly ministry, the resigned priest observed conscientiously the circumstances of a discreet retirement in Mobile."

The Rev. Oscar Lipscomb, who is the archbishop of Mobile, presided at a funeral Mass for Sherlock at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church on Friday afternoon.

The Rev. Charles Troncale, pastor of Church of the Holy Spirit in Montgomery and one of Sherlock's fellow seminary students four decades ago, remembered his friend as a man who excelled in the Scriptures.

"Those in his parishes -- those who benefited from his homilies -- could tell he was a scholar," said Troncale. "I was very saddened by the fact that he was removed from active ministry because of those accusations."

Sherlock, who graduated from Sidney Lanier High School, took the lead in a major remodeling campaign at St. Peter's. He and church lay leaders raised an estimated $750,000 to improve the appearance of one of Montgomery's most historic churches.

"The man had a vision to get it done, and he did a wonderful job for our church," Barranco said. "While he was here in Montgomery, we knew him as a very fine priest."

When the sexual abuse scandal within the Catholic church widened across the country three years ago, Sherlock was asked following his final Mass of Christmas in 2002 what he thought should happen to a cleric involved in such conduct.

"He should go to prison," Sherlock said, during an interview with the Montgomery Advertiser. "He should pay the price."

Sherlock presided at several Catholic parishes in the South during his days as an active priest. He also was a teacher and one of his top students in Mobile was Bill Pryor, who would become Alabama attorney general and later a federal judge.

Sherlock's removal as St. Peter's priest stunned his congregation as well as many non-Catholics in Montgomery.

The Rev. Steve Martin, who replaced Sherlock as St. Peter's priest, declined comment when contacted Friday afternoon.

Troncale said those who knew Sherlock during his Montgomery tenure were "in shock" when they learned of his forced resignation and at news of his death.

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Two women sue their priest father

2005-11-27T11:03:00.000-05:00

LOWELL, Mass. --Two 20-year-old women have filed a lawsuit in Lowell Superior Court alleging that their father, a Catholic priest with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Lowell, has refused to acknowledge them as his daughters and has subjected them to physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

The Rev. Lucien Richard has acknowledged that he is the twins' father, but denies allegations that he rejected and abused them.

When the twins were young, the order was told that Richard had fathered the two girls and about the alleged abuse. Nevertheless, the order continued to support Richard as a priest and "failed to take steps to terminate or reduce his abuse," according to the lawsuit.

The twins, whose only address is listed in court documents as Hampshire County, are suing Richard and the Oblates for more than $200,000, according to court documents.

Richard, 73, told The Sun of Lowell that he has always acknowledged that he is the father and has paid more than $500,000 in support since they were babies and denies ever physically or sexually abusing them.

He has never been criminally charged, he said.

Richard said the lawsuit is an attempt by his daughters' mother to get more money from him.

Richard admits that having a priest for a father was an "emotional burden" for his daughters.

"I didn't give them the right kind of family situation. I regret that," he said.

But he tried his best, he said.

His daughters have moved frequently with their mother and he hasn't always been told where they are living, Richard said.

Alan Cantor, the twins' lawyer, said he would not comment without getting their authorization.

The girls were the result of an affair between Richard and a female student at Westin Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, where Richard was her professor, academic advisor and counselor.

He has never sought a DNA test to prove paternity.

He did tell his superiors at the Oblates about the children early on, and the Archdiocese of Boston was notified about a year ago. Richard, who has never been a parish priest, continued to teach.

After leaving the college in Cambridge, Richard has worked for the past decade teaching philosophy and theology at Boston University. Richard, who has health problems and uses a cane, has been on sabbatical and plans to retire at the end of the year.

"I love my daughters," he said. "(The lawsuit) hurts me, but I know this isn't from them."

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Reports: Scene turns chaotic at 2 Wal-Marts

2005-11-27T08:56:00.000-05:00

Link.

So much for the genteel South.

Early Friday morning, shoppers at a Wal-Mart in Beaumont told a local TV station that they were pepper-sprayed by a security worker when shoving broke out in the store's electronics department. In an Orlando, Fla., Wal-Mart, news cameras captured images of a man being wrestled to the ground by security after he allegedly cut in line to get a laptop computer that was marked down as part of a promotion.

KBTV, the NBC affiliate in Beaumont, reported on its Web site that a crowd of shoppers was warned by an off-duty Beaumont police officer to back away shortly before he pulled out a can of pepper spray and sprayed it several times. Some customers were treated by emergency medical workers in the store parking lot, and others told a KBTV reporter that they planned to drive themselves to hospitals.

In Orlando, the man who allegedly cut in line began arguing with fellow shoppers and then fought with security guards, ABC affiliate WFTV-TV reported on its Web site. The station reported that store employees were tossing the laptops into the air for shoppers to catch, causing people to bump into one another in the scramble. The man was let go with a warning after explaining that he thought the plainclothes security officers were other customers.

Another Florida shopper made headlines on the day after Thanksgiving in 2003, when she allegedly was trampled by a crowd rushing to grab discounted DVD players. It was later uncovered that the woman, Patricia Van Lester, was a former Wal-Mart employee who had filed multiple injury claims against Wal-Mart and other businesses before the 2003 trampling incident.

A Wal-Mart spokesman did not return a call seeking a comment.

The situation appeared to be calmer at Wal-Mart's locations in North Texas, where shoppers lined up for early-bird specials including a 42-inch plasma TV for $997, a portable DVD and CD player for $79.86, a laptop computer for $398, and a children's bicycle priced at $25.88.

Sonny Littlefield, manager of the Wal-Mart Supercenter on South Cooper Street in Arlington, said his employees began planning for the sales blitz more than a month ago.

To make it easier for customers to access the sale items, groceries that are typically featured in the store's center aisle were cleared out and replaced with discounted televisions. Employees also cut off the lines for select items once they knew that the number of people in line matched the number of products available.

Littlefield said his store had 30 of the $398 laptops and 10 of the plasma TV sets, which customers began lining up for at 11 p.m. Thursday. Because the store is open 24 hours a day, customers were able to wait inside the store next to the displays for each sale item.

"We were packed at 4:30 a.m., but the customers were very cooperative, and it's gone really smoothly," Littlefield said Friday morning.

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Wal-Mart shopper injured as people rush into store

2005-11-27T08:51:00.000-05:00

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan -- Wal-Mart, Sears and Macy's are among those who say it appears they've drawn bigger crowds this year on the day after Thanksgiving than last year.

But all was not smooth. At least one person was injured in the crush of shoppers coming into a Michigan Wal-Mart.

A few people fell down as they entered the store, but some behind just surged forward.

[Video at link]

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Tennessee fires prison guard for ties to couple in deadly escape

2005-11-27T08:46:00.000-05:00

(Nashville, TN-AP) November 23, 2005 - Tennessee prison officials have fired a corrections officer because of his dealings with an inmate who made a deadly escape from custody three months ago. A prison guard was killed in the escape.

Officials say Randall Ridenour had let inmate George Hyatte use a cell phone to talk to his wife about three weeks before the escape. They also say Ridenour admitted to calling Jennifer Hyatte later that day, although they haven't said Ridenour knew of the escape plan.

Jennifer Hyatte allegedly opened fire outside a courthouse, killing a guard, as she helped her husband escape.

A Tennessee Department of Corrections spokeswoman says Ridenour has lost his job for violating a ban on personal relationships with inmates and for "conduct unbecoming of an employee in state service."

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Prison guard accused of selling cocaine

2005-11-27T08:43:00.000-05:00

L. NAZARETH TWP., N.J. - A Northampton County Prison guard was arrested Saturday morning after he allegedly sold cocaine to an undercover drug task force officer in the Wal-Mart parking lot.

Kevin T. Murphy, 49, of the 400 block of Pershing Avenue, Phillipsburg, has worked for the prison for more than 24 years and was being paid $41,617 a year. Director of Corrections Todd Buskirk said Murphy has been suspended without pay pending completion of the investigation, but he would not comment further on the incident.

Police said Murphy arranged to meet the Northampton County Drug Task Force member to sell him one gram of cocaine for $60. The transaction was captured by electronic surveillance and police arrested Murphy as he was leaving the parking lot.

Police said he tore up the three $20 bills that were given to him in exchange for the drugs.

Murphy was arraigned before District Judge Ralph Litzenberger around 2 p.m. Saturday and charged with two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

He was committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 30 at District Judge Joseph Barner's office.

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Prison Guard Pleads Guilty To Smuggling Contraband

2005-11-27T08:41:00.000-05:00

(AP) PHILADELPHIA A prison guard pleaded guilty Tuesday to bribery charges in federal court, admitting to smuggling contraband - including cell phones and booze—to five prisoners.

Matthew R. Sartin, 34, who worked at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, raked in nearly $14,000 in exchange for the items, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Fitzgerald.

Friends and relatives of the inmates sent the contraband to a post office box that Sartin opened in Bear, Del. Sartin retrieved the packages and smuggled them into the prison during a five-month period in 2003, prosecutors said.
The smuggling ended when an inmate reported Sartin, and he was fired. Sartin, of Middletown, Del., is slated to be sentenced in February.

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Minister arrested and charged with abuse

2005-11-26T09:55:00.000-05:00

Woodlawn, Maryland - A Woodlawn minister with an international following has been arrested in connection with five cases of alleged child abuse that date from June 2001 up to July 2004.

Gerald Fitroy Griffith, 39, of the 1300 block of Peach Tree Court in Bowie, was taken into custody on an arrest warrant Nov. 15 at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Baltimore County police said.

He is charged with sexual abuse to a minor, perverted practice, sodomy, a number of other sex offenses and assault, according to county police.

Four of the victims are male. The female and two of the male victims were juveniles at the time of the abuse, according to police reports.

Griffith was released on $600,000 bail pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled, according to Cpl. Mike Hill, a police spokesman.

The incidents allegedly occurred during counseling sessions in the church office at Redemption Christian Fellowship, in the 6500 block of Dogwood Road, over a period of 4 1/2 years, Hill said.

Police are asking anyone who may have been victimized by Griffith to call Detective Charles Allen at 410-853-3650.

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Sex Abuse Investigator Accused Of Molestation

2005-11-26T09:48:00.000-05:00

(AP) JOLIET, Ill. - The Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet says a clinical psychologist who reviewed sexual abuse complaints against its priests has resigned after himself being accused of molesting two boys nearly 30 years ago.

The psychologist, James Carger of Riverside, has denied the allegations, but says he resigned to avoid impeding the work of the Diocesan Review Committee. Carger has led that committee since May of 2003.

No criminal charges have been filed against Carger, but two brothers, now 32 and 31 years old, contended that Carger molested them during counseling in 1979 shortly after their mother filed for divorce. Carger worked for the DuPage County Health Department at the time, and did not begin working for the church's volunteer panel until 23 years later.

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Erie minister charged in shooting

2005-11-25T08:26:00.000-05:00

Erie, Penns. - An Erie minister accused of shooting a 15-year-old youth in the leg last Friday has been charged with aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person.

The Rev. Willie Sanders Jr., 42, a minister at Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, said he and his 19-year-old son had gone to talk to relatives of a teenager who threw a bottle at his son, but a group of teens surrounded them and one indicated he had a gun.

The Rev. Sanders said he did not intend to fire at the teenager but felt his life was being threatened, so he fired into the ground.

"I wanted them to disperse and to leave my son alone," he said. "I would never in my life want to hurt someone else's child, but these young people are ruthless."

Erie police Detective David Hudson, however, said witnesses told a different story. Police said witnesses told them that the Rev. Sanders brought his son back to fight the other teen, and the gun went off as he later tried to break up the fight.

The shot passed through the leg of the teenager, who was later treated.

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Hare Krishna organization sued for alleged child abuse

2005-11-25T08:17:00.000-05:00

Hare Krishnas are a little bit afield from our usual chronicle items, but I think it demonstrates a larger point: that religions of all stripes serve as refuges for sexual predators because of the blind trust and allegiance given to authorities. I was about to say that Hare Krishnas don't really represent the heartland, but look at the locations in the article: Dallas, Alabama, Florida. Hmmm. Thanks to Margaret for the heads-up on this:

DALLAS (AP) -- More than three dozen former students of Hare Krishna boarding schools filed a $400 million lawsuit against leaders of the religious community Monday, alleging years of sexual, physical and emotional torture.

The 44 plaintiffs in the suit allege child abuse over two decades at boarding schools in the United States and India.

The federal lawsuit names the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) as lead defendant, along with 17 members of the group's governing board of top leaders and the estate of the movement's founder, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Plaintiffs' attorney Windle Turley called the abuse ``the most unthinkable abuse and maltreatment of little children we have seen. It includes rape, sexual abuse, physical torture and emotional terror of children as young as 3 years of age.''

He said ISKCON knowingly allowed suspected sex offenders to work in its boarding schools.

A Hare Krishna spokesman in Washington, Anuttama, said Monday that Krishna leaders have acknowledged abuse in the boarding schools and worked to provide counseling and financial support to victims.

``It's disappointing that it had to go to a court situation,'' he said. ``We will try to do anything we can to address their needs.''

ISKCON's Child Protection Task Force, formed in 1998, has compiled the names of 200 people who allegedly inflicted abuse in the 1970s and '80s, said director Dhira Govinda. The office has finished investigating more than 60 cases, he said.

``There is no doubt many children did suffer ... while under the care of the organization,'' Govinda said.

He said Krishna leaders have pledged $250,000 a year to investigate past child abuse and aid survivors.

Turley said the abuse started in 1972 at ISKCON's first school in Dallas, and continued in six other U.S. schools and two in India.

He said he believes more than half of the children in the schools were victimized.

``We believe the facts as they are developed will reveal more than 1,000 child victims, many of whom have already taken their own lives or are today emotionally and socially dysfunctional,'' said Turley, whose Dallas law firm won millions in a sex abuse case against the Roman Catholic Church in 1997.

In a statement faxed to The Associated Press late Monday, Vinod Patel, president of the Dallas Krishna Temple, said the temple is a ``different corporation with different by-laws, management and staff from the organization that ran the school during the 1970s.''

``Not a single person involved with this temple since 1980 had anything to do with the Krishna boarding school named in the lawsuit,'' Patel said.

Among the allegations against ISKCON are that young girls were given as brides to older men who donated to the religious community.

The lawsuit also claims that children were:

--Forced to sleep in unheated rooms and walk great distances in bitter cold without coats or shoes;

--Deprived of medical care for malaria, hepatitis and broken bones;

--Scrubbed with steel wool until their skin bled;

--Moved to different schools in different states without their parents' consent.

Plaintiff Greg Luczyk, 30, said he was beaten four or five times a day with a two-by-four while in a Krishna school in India in the early 1980s.

He said his mother tried to remove him from the school and sent him plane tickets to come home, but teachers would tear up the tickets in front of school assemblies.

``The parents were trying to get us out, but the ring of molesters had tight control,'' said Luczyk, who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Hare Krishna spiritual community flowered in the 1960s when Prabhupada brought his distinctive form of devotional Hinduism to the United States.

Soon, thousands of Westerners were wearing saris and pajama-like dhotis, living in Hare Krishna temple compounds, and chanting the mantra they believed would lead to a greater awareness of God known as Krishna.

Prabhupada said children should be sent to boarding schools at age 5 so they could learn to be pure devotees, freeing parents to sell devotional books and do other jobs.

By the end of the 1970s, 11 schools, known as gurukulas or houses of the guru, were operating in North America with several more around the world. Now, the only boarding school in the United States is in Alachua, Fla., home to the largest American Hare Krishna community.

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Pastor gets probation after admitting sexual relationship with 14-year-old relative

2005-11-24T08:52:00.000-05:00

KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- Despite admitting to having a five-month sexual relationship with a 14-year-old family member, a former lay pastor at a Knoxville church is not going to spend a lot of time in jail.

Court papers show Jerry David Hembree, 48, used force and coercion to have sex with the young girl, but a circuit court judge sentenced him to just five years probation and five months in jail.

Hembree, who lives at 685 Bethany Court, pleaded guilty to having sex with the family member. He is now a registered sex offender.

At a court hearing Tuesday, Hembree admitted to a five month sexual relationship with the girl in his Maryville home.

The victim said in a court statement, "Jerry did this to me. It really broke my trust and made it harder to trust people. It also caused a lot of family problems, especially with my mother. It was real confusing."

She has since moved away from the area.

It's the details of his probation that concern officers who have to keep track of Hembree.

In the sentencing phase, the judge decided Hembree is allowed to use the Internet, but his hard drive may be monitored.

The judge also ruled it's okay for him to travel out of state while on probation because his job requires him to do so.

Every time Hembree leaves the state of Tennessee he has to report his travel to his probation officer.

After that, the officer has to send out an alert to the state he is traveling to.

6 News talked to a probation officer about the judge's decision. The officer told us his department expressed concerns about putting Hembree on probation.

But in light of the judge's ruling, the officer says the department will do its best to supervise Hembree.

After the guilty plea, Hembree's wife took the stand, asking the judge for a light sentence.

She said, "I feel like being on the (sexual offender) registry is sufficient. I don't think he is a risk to the general public. He doesn't spend time with other people's children."

In addition to her testimony, Hembree's attorneys also provided letters of support from members of his church, where he served as a lay pastor.

The letters say Hembree admitted his sins and asked for forgiveness.

6 News tried to contact members of Hembree's church for a comment, but no one was available.

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Pastor arrested in sex abuse case dies in fall at national park

2005-11-24T08:48:00.000-05:00

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. - A Porterville minister accused of sexually abusing two teenage parishioners fell 400 feet to his death at Moro Rock, a National Park Service official said Monday.

The Rev. Santos Teixeira's fall Sunday was under "uncertain circumstances," requiring the Park Service to notify the FBI of its investigation, said Alexandra Picavet, a Sequoia National Park spokeswoman.

Picavet said park investigators have yet to determine the manner of death and cautioned it was standard procedure to notify the FBI about the case, which occurred on federal land.

Teixeira, 56, fell to his death late Sunday afternoon from the summit of Moro Rock, a 6,500-foot-tall granite dome. Picavet said a person believed to be a parishioner and other bystanders were in the area, adding those eyewitnesses have been interviewed.

Teixeira's family has asked the Park Service to look into the pastor's death, Picavet said. A telephone number for the family could not be located.

Teixeira, who was the pastor of Iglesia Del Nazareno church in Porterville, was ordered last August to stand trial on charges of rape and sexual assault. The allegations involve two teenage sisters who attended his church.

Prosecutors said Teixeira befriended the girls and their mother shortly after the family moved to the area from Mexico.

Teixeira's lawyer has said there was no physical evidence of a crime and the girls' statements were vague and inconsistent.

Teixeira would have faced 45 years to life in prison if convicted.

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Pastor accused of stealing ID of parishioner

2005-11-24T08:45:00.000-05:00

Ensley, Florida - An Ensley pastor facing fraud charges was arrested for the second time in a month -- this time on identity theft charges, the Escambia County Sheriff's Office reported Wednesday.

The Rev. Gabrieli Andre Davis, pastor at True Love Community Baptist Church, is charged with forging the signature of a church trustee and using her personal information to get a loan so the church could purchase a $6,000 riding lawn mower.

Davis, 53, of the 6200 block of Songbird Lane, was taken to Escambia County Jail late Tuesday, then released after posting $5,000 bond.

Neither Davis nor church officials returned telephone calls Wednesday.

Davis was arrested in October and charged with bank fraud, organized fraud and grand theft, the Sheriff's Office reported. The bank fraud and grand theft charges were dropped by the state attorney's office. Davis pleaded innocent to organized fraud. A court date has been set for Jan. 4.

The October arrest stemmed from tax-consulting work he performed for another church through his bookkeeping service. Sheriff's investigators said that between 1998 and 2004, Davis falsely billed Damascus Road Baptist Church for more than $31,000, sheriff's Investigator John Canning said.

The identity theft complaint was part of a separate investigation of the March purchase of a 23-horsepower EverRide "Z-Mower" with a 44-inch cut, on which a down payment of $2,000 was made.

The victim, Ardelia Catchings, received a call in July from Sheffield Financial telling her she was behind on her payments, a Sheriff's Office arrest report stated.

Catchings explained she didn't have an account with Sheffield, but the company sent her a credit application filled out with her name, home address, home phone, work place, work address, work phone, Social Security number and date of birth. Catchings' forged signature appears four times on the loan application, the arrest report stated.

Catchings' personal information was on record at the church because she was a trustee, the report stated.

Catchings filed a complaint with the Sheriff's Office in July. She told investigators Davis had asked her to help buy the church a lawn mower, but she turned him down. She said she did not allow anyone to use her information to buy the mower.

Davis told the investigator that the incident was a misunderstanding, that Catchings had told him, "Do what you have to do," which prompted him to sign her name on the loan document. Davis made the down payment, the report stated.

Court records show Davis had been on probation related to separate workers' compensation fraud, credit card fraud and grand theft charges in 2002 and 2003.

"It's not common for someone involved in religious activities to be a suspect in so many different crimes," Canning said. "Given his criminal history, you would think he would want to make an effort and set an example."

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Oklahoma Preacher Gets Punched During Sermon

2005-11-24T08:37:00.000-05:00

TULSA, Okla. -- A preacher who was punched in the face during a church service met with his alleged assailant, saying he wanted to pray for him.

The Rev. Billy Joe Daugherty said Tuesday that Steven Wayne Rogers showed no remorse and offered no apology during their meeting at the Tulsa Jail.

"He said he'd do whatever he wants, to whomever he wants, whenever he wants," Daugherty said.

Rogers, 50, was identified as the man who came forward during an altar call near the end of Sunday's Victory Christian Center service, motioned for Daugherty to approach and then hit Daugherty twice, opening a cut above Daugherty's eye that required two stitches.

The episode was videotaped as part of the service and broadcast on TV news shows.

"I had just told the (biblical) story of Paul and Silas being beaten and thrown into jail," said Daugherty, whose church is one of Tulsa's largest.

"They were mistreated, but they praised God," he said. "I was talking about living a lifestyle of praise, through every situation. This (attack) was like an illustrated sermon."

Daugherty said he returned to the stage following the attack, not knowing that his face was smeared with blood.

He also offered prayers.

"We immediately forgave the man and acknowledged that he didn't realize what he was doing," Daugherty said. "We prayed that God would help him."

Daugherty said he did not know his attacker and did not plan to press charges.

Police Sgt. Kim Presley said assault charges had not been filed and no report on the assault was on file.

However, Rogers remained in jail after being arrested Sunday on a bench warrant issued for failure to appear in court on a charge of violating a protective order.

Police said Rogers was cited Sunday for simple assault by a security guard at Victory who said he was struck while helping another guard control the situation.

Fifteen years ago, Rogers struck Richard Roberts, son of evangelist Oral Roberts, while Roberts was rehearsing for his "Richard Roberts Live" television show, the Tulsa World reported Wednesday. Roberts did not file charges.

See the video here.

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Ex-pastor arrested on third charge

2005-11-24T08:32:00.000-05:00

Myrtle Beach, S.C. - A former Murrells Inlet minister who was indicted last year on two charges of molesting boys was arrested Tuesday on an additional charge of second-degree criminal sexual misconduct with a minor.

Troy Taylor, 36, who led Low Country Community Church in Murrells Inlet, surrendered Tuesday afternoon at the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office, said Sheriff's Office spokesman Neil Johnson.

A bond hearing will be today at the Georgetown County jail, Johnson said.

Taylor's lawyer, Scott Joye, said his client has maintained his innocence on all charges.

"I can't comment, other than to say that Troy has maintained all along that he is not guilty of these charges," Joye said. "He is going to await his day in court."

Police said the latest charge is in connection with an alleged 1999 molestation at Taylor's former residence on Gibson Avenue in Murrells Inlet.

Taylor now lives on Little Tony Avenue in Murrells Inlet.

Taylor, a father of two, at the time was 30 and the victim was 11, the report said.

Taylor was leader of the youth group at Low Country Community Church and the boy was a group member, the report said.

Taylor took the children to Huntington Beach State Park on a church field trip, police said.

Taylor then took the boy back to his home, where the molestation took place, police said.

The incident happened in late June or early July, the victim said. Police did not give additional details on the incident.

Taylor also has been accused of molesting two other boys at his home in 1991 and 1988.

One person, now 26, said he was molested in 1991, when he was 12 and Taylor was about 20.

The other, now 29, also was 12 when he was molested in 1988, police said.

Taylor was freed on $10,000 bail after his arrest in those cases.

Taylor left Low Country Community Church in August 2003.

Before then, he did missionary work in Romania and adopted an orphan from that country.

Two other Georgetown County ministers have been arrested on similar charges.

In June 2001, the Rev. Gerald J. Ryfinski, 46, of Highmarket Street in Georgetown, was charged with third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. At the time of his arrest, Ryfinski was serving as priest of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Georgetown.

Ryfinski pleaded guilty in Georgetown County Courthouse, was sentenced to probation and was required to register as a sex offender.

In August, Kenneth "Tripp" Atkinson III was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl three years ago while he was youth pastor at the Pawleys Island Community Church.

Atkinson, who is free on $30,000 bail, has been ordered to stay away from the girl, who is now 17. His case still has to go to trial.

Atkinson, who is on paid leave from his post as a student minister at First Baptist of Columbia, was arrested Aug. 10 after turning himself in at the Georgetown Sheriff's Office.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Weekly church-related crime update, November 7 - 13

2005-11-22T09:40:00.000-05:00

Edwin Scherzer, an 80-year-old retired priest living in Louisville, Kentucky, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing four boys in the 1950s and 1960s. "One of the accusers says Scherzer choked and sexually abused him after instructing him to take off his clothes," reported WKYT News.

Leonard Robertson, pastor of Prepare the Way Community Church in Medina, Ohio, and father of 17 children, was "arrested for rape and gross sexual imposition for allegations involving two of his adopted children," reported WKYC News.

Eugene Ward Jr., pastor of Greater Love Missionary Full Gospel Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio, was charged with domestic violence and aggravated menacing after police said Ward beat his wife. According to the Plain Dealer, Antoinette Sims-Ward told police Ward had choked her with a phone cord, and that her nightgown and panties were ripped off in the fight; Mrs. Ward ran to a neighbor's house, naked save for an overcoat. Ward is well known as an anti-gay marriage activist. According to a Plain Dealer article from 2004:

"If we allow same-sex marriage, it will be the beginning of the fall of the nation," said Bishop Eugene Ward Jr. of Greater Love Missionary Full Gospel Baptist Church. "It's important to the future of humanity."... "It's not that I say it's wrong. It's that the Bible says it's wrong," Ward said of same-sex marriage. "I'm a firm believer if we're going to save our society, I'm not worried about Osama bin Laden coming in and attacking Cleveland. But I'm concerned about the enemy that is already within."

Dennis "Tony" Montoya, assistant minister at Word of Grace Church in Mesa, Arizona, pleaded guilty to molesting an 8-year-old girl 13 years ago, when Montoya was 15.

Timothy Paul Rowell, youth director at Main Street Baptist Church in Kernersville, N.C., pleaded guilty to taking indecent liberties and statutory sexual offense in a case involving two teenage girls.

Warren Jeffs, the "prophet" of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who has been indicted on two counts of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor for marrying a 16-year-old girl to a much older married man, "comes and goes with impunity" from the 1,700-acre Yearn for Zion Ranch near Waco, Texas, said Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard.

In the last few years, as many as 100 people have filed sex-abuse lawsuits accusing more than a dozen priests and volunteers of the Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus-- the Jesuit order in Oregon, reported the Oregonian.

Jerald Schara, pastor at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Marxville, Wisconsin, was arrested on child pornography charges.

Kerry Von Smith, pastor of Howard General Baptist Church in Quitman, Arkansas, was arrested on charges of leaving the scene of an accident that left one man dead. "The attorney representing Smith says his position as a pastor only strengthens his case," reported KATV News.

Talbert L. Gwynn, pastor of Wilmington (Delaware) Church of Christ, pleaded guilty to groping two male church members, reported the Williminton News Journal:

According to police, Gwynn grabbed a 14-year-old boy’s genitals in February, when the boy was staying at Gwynn’s house. That same month, Gwynn grabbed a 25-year-old man, who was at his house for Bible study, kissed him on the lips and then hugged him, police said. As the man pulled away, Gwynn placed his hands under the man’s shirt, then grabbed his buttocks.

Gregory Fladeland, minister at Covenant United Methodist Church in Lancaster County, Penns., was sentenced to 3½ to 7 years in prison after he was found guilty on one count each of criminal attempt at rape, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and simple assault, reported the Intelligencer-Journal:

According to a report filed by Millersville police Sgt. Howard R. Bauman, a woman with whom Fladeland had a previous relationship told police she woke to find him in her bedroom in the early morning hours of Aug. 22, 2004... "Greg Fladeland took his clothes off and proceeded to force (the woman) to have sex with him," the report states. "(The woman) stated that she tried to force him away, but Greg was too strong." Fladeland pulled down the woman's pajama bottoms and ripped off her top, Bauman says in the report. "(The woman) was fighting Greg and bit him on the right shoulder," Bauman's report states. "Greg Fladeland then said, 'Oh, this is how you want it.' Greg Fladeland then struck (the woman) in the head two to three times with an open fist." Fladeland ultimately was unable to complete the sexual act, according to Bauman's report.

James Michael Holthus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lake Crystal and St. John Lutheran Church in Rapidan, Minnesota, was arrested on charges of first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct after a man said that when he was about 14 Holthus took him on trips, showed him pornography, bought him boxer shorts, asked him to pose for photos -- and had sex with him, including once at the church parsonage on Christmas Eve, reported the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

The complaint, signed by Blue Earth County Sheriff's Capt. Will Purvis, said Holthus admitted to fondling the boy but denied giving him oral sex. The complaint said Holthus admitted there were times when he groped the boy while he was sleeping and, "for some reason, that made me feel" as if "this kid is all mine."

The pastor's supporters packed the courtroom for Holthus' arraignment and have started a legal defense fund.

See the entire never-ending chronicle of church-related crime (dating back to June 5) here.

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Police say youth pastor killed wife, buried her

2005-11-21T21:57:00.000-05:00

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Police say a Savannah youth pastor's confession led officers to his wife's body, which he had buried on the outskirts of town after killing her.

A man called police Sunday to say his brother-in-law, Eric Brian Golden, 35, had confessed to killing his wife, DeeDee Marie Golden, and was on his way to jail, Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Sgt. Mike Wilson said.

Golden, youth pastor at Southside Assembly of God, was taken into custody after he arrived at the jail.

Golden then led police to woods about six miles west of Interstate 95, where they found DeeDee Golden's body buried in a three-to-four-foot grave on the outskirts of Fort Stewart.

The man told detectives he killed his 35-year-old wife Thursday during a fight at their home.

Police are waiting for the results of a Georgia Bureau of Investigation autopsy before saying how the woman died.

Golden is being held at the jail.

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Monsignor in Phoenix Is Arrested

2005-11-21T21:43:00.000-05:00

PHOENIX — The former vicar general of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix was arrested Monday on charges he fondled boys and young men and asked them prying questions about their sex lives that he pretended were part of confession.

Monsignor Dale Fushek, 53, becomes one of the highest-ranking priests to be charged in the sex scandal that has engulfed the church. The vicar general is the highest-ranking administrator of a diocese next to the bishop.

Fushek was charged with three counts of assault, five of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and two of indecent exposure. All are misdemeanors, punishable by no more than three years and nine months in all.

Fushek "used a relationship of trust to perform criminal acts, including but not limited to sexual activities, improper sexual discussions and physical contact, upon vulnerable minor and adult victims," prosecutors said in court papers.

Prosecutors said Fushek committed the acts between 1984 and 1994 at St. Timothy's Catholic Church in Mesa or on property belonging to the church. The alleged victims were seven young men and boys.

Fushek resigned as pastor of St. Timothy's in April after someone claimed to have recovered a repressed memory involving sexual improprieties by Fushek in 1985. He has denied the allegations and remains on administrative leave.

His attorney, Michael Manning, was out of the country and couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Michael Haran, an attorney for the diocese, said the church knew of one of the alleged victims because it had settled with him previously, but the other six names were new to diocese officials.

Maricopa Attorney Andrew Thomas said the priest conducted "sham confessions" in which he extracted details about people's sex lives for his own gratification.

Thomas said the diocese has been cooperative. "I've been impressed by the overall atmosphere that has been projected by this new bishop," he said.

Prosecutors had clashed with the diocese over sex abuse allegations when it was headed by Bishop Thomas O'Brien. O'Brien resigned in 2003 after being arrested in a deadly hit-and-run. Fushek was O'Brien's top aide at the time. The diocese is now headed by Bishop Thomas Olmsted.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Syracuse minister accused of rape

2005-11-21T21:19:00.000-05:00

This comes from the ultrarev, who was kind enough to provide a link to this page, so I'll respond in kind.

Syracuse, NY - A Syracuse pastor is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl whose family belongs to his congregation, city police said.

Jaree Jones, 30, of 148 Camp Ave., was charged with second-degree rape and second-degree criminal sexual act, both felonies, said Sgt. Tom Connellan, speaking for city police.

The case was sent to a grand jury Friday, defense lawyer William Sullivan said. Jones voluntarily surrendered to police Nov. 9 and has been free on $2,500 bail since Nov. 10, the day he was arraigned, Sullivan said.

Jones, pastor of Refuge Temple of Syracuse, 1909 South Ave., is accused of committing the crimes between May 2004 and March 2005 at the church and his home, Connellan said.

The girl, now 15, went to police with her family, Connellan said.

Jones had been scheduled for a City Court appearance Thursday. But Sullivan said he mistakenly noted the wrong time, leading to a call from the court after he and Jones missed the morning calendar. Sullivan said the court arranged for him and Jones to come in Friday morning, and they did so, waiving the case to the grand jury for consideration.

Police urged anyone with information about the case to call the Abused Persons Unit at 435-3016.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Mesa priest guilty of abusing boys

2005-11-21T20:43:00.000-05:00

MESA, Arizona – A Catholic priest will likely spend the rest of his life in prison after being found guilty yesterday of sexually abusing boys in his Arizona parishes.

His trial also included testimony from four Indiana men who said they were molested by the priest years before.

Jurors found the Rev. Paul LeBrun guilty after three weeks of testimony. LeBrun, 49, has been jailed since 2003, and now faces 81 to 110 years in prison.

Although he has been stripped of his priestly duties, LeBrun remains a member of the Catholic clergy.

The Diocese of Phoenix released a statement yesterday afternoon calling the process “a long and arduous journey for all involved in this case.” The statement said the diocese hopes the trial’s end brings “closure, healing and reconciliation.”

The statement also reaffirmed the church’s policy of helping authorities investigate abuse.

LeBrun is the first priest from the Phoenix area whose case went through trial since the Catholic sex scandal broke nearly four years ago. Other local cases ended in plea bargains, and two priests fled the country.

LeBrun stood trial on eight counts of sexual conduct with a minor and five counts of child molestation. Jurors returned the six guilty verdicts but couldn’t reach agreements on five others. One other count was dropped, and LeBrun was acquitted of one count.

Prosecutors alleged during the trial that LeBrun took advantage of young boys in Arizona and Indiana whose parents were abusive or divorced or boys who were abandoned by their fathers.

“He was basically a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” prosecutor Suzanne Cohen said. “Everything he did was to get close to these little boys. Everything he did was to abuse these little boys.”

Defense attorney Ken Huls said the accusers didn’t step forward for decades and are motivated by greed. He noted that four of the accusers have filed civil suits, and three have felony convictions.

LeBrun was accused of abusing Arizona boys ranging from age 11 to 16 from 1986 to 1991 at two suburban Phoenix churches, St. John Vianney Church and the Blessed Sacrament Church.

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Priest accused of sex abuse: Navy officer alleges molestation in ’80s while student

2005-11-21T20:34:00.000-05:00

WILMINGTON, Delaware — A U.S. Navy commander filed a federal lawsuit Thursday alleging that he was sexually molested by a priest while attending a Claymont Catholic school in the 1980s and began pushing for legislation to extend the time limit for victims to bring civil suits in Delaware.

In a 23-page suit filed in U.S. District Court in Wilmington, Lt. Cmdr. Kenneth J. Whitwell said the Rev. Edward J. Smith molested him during two ski trips to Killington, Vt., in 1984-85, when he was a student at Archmere Academy.

However, Mr. Whitwell said Thursday that the abuse went far beyond the two alleged incidents, lasting for nine years.

“I was a typical victim, a quiet, shy, 14-year-old freshman,” said Mr. Whitwell, wearing a Navy dress uniform with his wife Amy by his side.

“He carved me out of the pack, so to speak. He befriended me by paying attention to me. He was my religion teacher and befriended my family.”

Mr. Whitwell, 37, is a Naval healthcare administrator and optometrist at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va.

The allegation comes less than two years after the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington admitted to spending $1.6 million to settle sexual abuse lawsuits involving priests.

Mr. Whitwell’s attorney Thomas S. Neuberger called Father Smith a “renegade pedophile priest,” claiming that his religious order, the Norbertines, hid the priest in Maryland for two years after he allegedly molested a student at a Philadelphia high school in 1979.

The order then placed him at Archmere Academy in Claymont, where he became the campus minister, Mr. Neuberger said.

A phone message left for Father Smith Thursday afternoon at Immaculate Conception Priory in Middletown was not returned.

Vermont incidents

Although Mr. Whitwell said Father Smith abused him “weekly” for three years at the Claymont high school, Delaware law prevented him from suing for the alleged incidents because the statute of limitations had expired, Mr. Neuberger said.

The federal suit is limited to the two ski trips to Vermont because that state’s laws contain a broader statute of limitations.

According to court documents, Mr. Whitwell traveled to Vermont with Father Smith and a former Philadelphia student in the priest’s Mercury Cougar during the winters of 1984-85.

“Smith roomed on Friday and Saturday nights on each occasion with (Mr. Whitwell) and placed the other former student in a separate room for those nights,” the complaint states.

“On each of these four nights, Smith sexually molested (Mr. Whitwell) and committed various sexual crimes on him.”

Mr. Whitwell said the alleged molestation continued after he moved to Oregon.

“Finally, at 25 years old, (the alleged incidents) ended,” he said. “I suppressed it and moved on with my life.”

The alleged incidents scarred Mr. Whitwell, the suit states, citing difficulties that arose in his relationship with his wife.

Through counseling, Mr. Whitwell uncovered the memories of the alleged sexual abuse and connected them to the marital problems in 2003, the suit states.

Asked why he waited more than 20 years to file a complaint, a tearful Mr. Whitwell said, “I have two young boys and I’m trying to teach them to do the right thing, and that’s not always easy to do.”

The suit also names Archmere Academy, the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington and Bishop Michael A. Saltarelli as defendants.

Archmere spokesman Thomas Mallon said Father Smith has been barred from the school campus since similar allegations surfaced in 2002 from the priest’s time at a Philadelphia high school 30 years ago.

“Since 1996, Father Smith has been assigned to the business office of the Immaculate Conception Priory,” Mr. Mallon said in a statement.

The priory moved from the Archmere campus to Middletown in 2002.

Diocese spokesman Robert G. Krebs would not comment on the suit but said Father Smith had not been active with the diocese of Wilmington “for some time.”

“He is not a diocesan priest,” Mr. Krebs said. “He doesn’t have (diocese permission) to function as a priest.”

Mr. Krebs said Father Smith is a member of the Norbertines, a religious order based in De Pere, Wis.

“They have their own structure,” said Mr. Krebs, adding that the diocese has no jurisdiction to discipline Father Smith.

Ongoing problem

In a January 2004 edition of The Dialog, the official diocesan newspaper, Bishop Saltarelli wrote that a review of diocesan records for the past 50 years revealed nearly 80 allegations of sexual abuse and a total of $1.6 million in settlements and victim assistance payments.

“My dear people, I am profoundly saddened to make this report to you,” Bishop Saltarelli wrote in the 2004 newsletter.

“I am disturbed and ashamed by the number of priests who were found to have abused minors in the past 50 years.”

Mr. Neuberger said Mr. Whitwell’s claims are another chapter in a “never-ending cover-up of crimes against children by (Father) Smith and the Roman Catholic Church.”

“There’s nothing changing in the Catholic Church,” he said. “He hasn’t been defrocked. They just move him around.”

Mr. Krebs said Thursday the bishop would not comment, but said the diocese treats sexual abuse allegations seriously.

“Sexual abuse by priests will remain a concern of the diocese,” he said. “We will continue to develop programs for priests and continue to offer outreach programs to victims, such as counseling and support groups.”

Six-year statute

Delaware law prevented Mr. Whitwell from listing any of the alleged incidents that happened in the state because the statute of limitations long has expired, Mr. Neuberger said.

“In Delaware, you have to sue within two years of the incident,” Mr. Neuberger said. “That means that if you were abused at age 2, you have to file a suit by the time you turn 4.”

The attorney said he and Mr. Whitwell began promoting a proposed bill Thursday that would expand the statute of limitations to six years from the time of the alleged act or when the victim discovered that a current injury or condition was caused by the alleged act.

The proposal is based on laws in Vermont and California.

“Vermont favors the victims,” Mr. Neuberger said.

That law allowed Mr. Whitwell to file the federal suit because he discovered the connection between his marital problems and the alleged molestation two years ago.

Mr. Neuberger would not say which legislators the two planned to approach for sponsorship.

House Majority Leader Rep. Wayne A. Smith, R-Wilmington, was not aware of the suit or proposed bill, but said it would be treated with respect if it comes to the General Assembly.

“I’m sure there will be some legislators very interested in this topic,” Rep. Smith said.

‘A black eye’

Lifelong Catholic Catherine McMillan said the allegations and the manner in which the church has handled the situation have left the church with “a black eye.”

“I certainly feel very sorry for all the good priests who continue to serve God,” said Ms. McMillan, 75, of Smyrna.

“I also feel bad that the hierarchy of the church hasn’t stepped up to the issue in years gone by. The hierarchy has let us down in that regard.”

While Ms. McMillan said she believes some victims might have misinterpreted an embrace or other physical contact, she acknowledged that there is a problem that must be addressed.

Ms. McMillan said any priest found guilty of abusing children should be punished in the same manner as any criminal and not be allowed to minister.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Ex-Priest Admits Old Sex Charges

2005-11-21T20:26:00.000-05:00

Los Angeles - The attorney for a former Los Angeles priest admitted Friday that his client had molested 13 boys in the 1970s and 1980s, an unusual public acknowledgment of guilt in the hundreds of sexual abuse cases against the Los Angeles Archdiocese.

Michael Edwin Wempe's lawyer made the admission during a hearing in a criminal case accusing the former priest of molesting another boy in the 1990s when he was chaplain at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

The lawyer did so for strategic reasons in an attempt to limit damaging testimony about old abuse cases while he continues to fight the current charges. Wempe's case is being watched closely because he is one of three priests accused of molesting children after Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, responding to abuse complaints, sent him to therapy and returned him to ministry.

The archdiocese has been sued by more than 560 people for allegedly failing to protect children from abuse, but the cases have long been mired in settlement talks and only a handful of the allegations have been tested in court.

The Wempe case has a tangled history: The former priest was originally charged with 42 counts stemming from decades-old molestations, one of which involved two brothers. But the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2003 that the California law allowing prosecution of old child abuse cases violated the statute of limitations, and the charges were dismissed.

The two boys' younger brother came forward and said Wempe had molested him in the 1990s, within the statutory time limit. The Times generally does not identify victims of alleged sexual abuse.

The defense contends that the younger brother fabricated his accusation to avenge his older brothers. On Friday, defense attorneys Leonard B. Levine and Donald H. Steier asked the court to limit testimony about Wempe's past molestation of the older brothers.

Noting that the current victim is the only one to come forward after 1987, when Wempe returned from therapy, they argued that an inundation of testimony about the priest's abuse history could unfairly bias jurors.

Jurors probably "will say to themselves, 'We don't care. We are going to find him guilty for what he did 20 years ago,' " Levine told the court.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Todd Hicks said he wanted to put on all 13 of Wempe's earlier victims to show that the priest was "a master" at child molestation by the time he met the younger brother.

Judge Curtis Rappe said he would allow the defense additional witnesses, but hadn't decided how many. Without the background, Rappe said, it "would give a false impression that it was just a little family conspiracy."

Wempe is accused of fondling and masturbating the younger brother during driving lessons and in a parked car. Defense lawyers have said there is no independent evidence of the brother's story. In court papers, they contended that Wempe, who denies the abuse, passed two polygraph tests.

Prosecutors "are trying to convict someone for something he didn't do based on something he did do 20 or 30 years ago," Levine said. "That is not the way the system works."

Lee Bashforth, one of Wempe's earlier victims, said the former priest should not get away with admitting past molestations without suffering consequences. Bashforth recalled watching video of the smiling priest leaving Los Angeles County Jail after the earlier case was dismissed, and his lawyer's statement that Wempe's only regret was he didn't get the chance to clear his name.

"They are obviously saying this now because the truth cannot really harm them," he said.

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Convicted Priest Said Too Close to Kids

2005-11-21T20:22:00.000-05:00

ST. LOUIS -- After his conviction for sexually abusing a boy, a retired Roman Catholic priest lived in a retirement home next to a child-care facility, apparently in violation of state law, an activist group said Monday.

The Rev. Thomas Graham had been living at a retirement home in suburban Shrewsbury, said the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP.

After the group's announcement, the St. Louis Archdiocese said it had moved Graham to a different facility, away from children.

The Regina Cleri retirement home is on the same sprawling property as the child-care center, although they are several hundred feet apart and are separated by woods. State law prohibits convicted sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school or child-care facility.

A woman who identified herself as director of Berry Patch child care declined to comment. The center leases space on the property but is not affiliated with the Catholic church.

Graham was convicted Aug. 31 and was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison, but he remains free on a $500,000 bond posted by the archdiocese.

Prosecutors said Graham sodomized the boy in the late 1970s in the rectory of St. Louis' Old Cathedral. He has denied sexually abusing the boy and is appealing.

SNAP national director David Clohessy said he was pleased by the decision to move Graham, but wondered why it took nearly three months after his conviction.

An archdiocese statement did not say where Graham had been moved, but said that "he will be residing in a monitored environment" while the appeal is pending.

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Pastor charged with filing fraudulent visa applications

2005-11-21T20:07:00.000-05:00

Tacoma, Washington - The pastor of the Hope Korean Church in Tacoma has been charged with filing fraudulent visa applications for two men he said were coming to the U.S. to work at his church.

Dong Wan Park, 52, was taken into custody Friday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after a federal indictment charged him with three counts of visa fraud. He made his first court appearance Friday afternoon in Tacoma.

He pleaded not guilty and a trial was set for Jan. 17. Park was released on bond.

The indictment alleges that the pastor, in 2002 and 2003, made false statements in nonimmigrant worker petitions he filed on behalf of two Korean citizens, implying that they would be employed as pastors at his church. But the two had no religious training and had never worked for the Hope Korean Church, the indictment said.

The visa applications that Park submitted included seminary transcripts and certificates of ordination, which turned out to be counterfeit, according to the federal agents. ICE alleges that Park received $47,000 to sponsor the two men.

"ICE is aggressively targeting those who commit this kind of fraud and then seek to profit from it," said Leigh Winchell, special agent-in-charge of ICE in Seattle.

The charges against Park carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

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Church Pastor Resigns Amid Investigation

2005-11-21T20:02:00.000-05:00

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - One of Winston-Salem's leading churches is without its senior pastor, amid accusations of embezzlement and a police investigation. The Rev. Wendell Johnson resigned Thursday from First Baptist Church on Highland Avenue, according to church leaders.

Church members were split on their feelings. More than 100 members of the 126-year-old church met Thursday night.

"I've been chairman of the board here for, like, 13 or 14 years, and for me to find out the things I found out was really devastating," Harold Brown told WXII 12's Robin Lindner on Thursday. "It just tears the church apart."

Brown said he couldn't talk about the police department's investigation into the possibility of embezzlement of church money. But he did say the church needs new leadership.

"Basically what has happened is we have received his resignation," he said of Johnson.

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Wife Of Texas Youth Minister Arrested

2005-11-21T19:51:00.000-05:00

Waco, Texas - The wife of a youth minister in Burnet has been charged in connection with a case in which a woman posed as a teenage girl for months and sent dozens of graphic letters to a 15-year-old boy.

The woman also had phone sex with the teen and left him bras, underwear, condoms and personal lubricant, authorities said.

Amanda White, 27, is charged with criminal solicitation of a minor.

She is the wife of the youth minister at Victory Baptist Church in Burnet, and a mother.

According to an affidavit, officers found 50 to 75 handwritten letters and cards that were written to the boy during the summer.

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Convicted judge will stay in jail as jurors go home for weekend

2005-11-19T09:15:00.000-05:00

Houston - Harris County Justice of the Peace Betty Brock Bell is spending the weekend in jail after a jury went home Friday without deciding how she should be punished for fraudulently renewing handicapped parking tags in her dead mother's name.

Jurors will continue deliberations on Bell's punishment in state District Judge Mary Lou Keel's court Monday. Bell, convicted this week of tampering with a governmental document, could face up to two years in a state jail facility or up to five years probation.

After jurors left the courtroom Friday, Bell pleaded with Keel to let her out of jail on bail for the weekend. Keel refused, saying she could not treat Bell differently from other convicted felons.

"As I've already explained, this is my standard procedure. I don't want to deviate from my standard procedure," Keel told Bell's attorneys.

"Ma'am, I'm not a flight risk," the 56-year-old Bell told the judge. Keel did not waver. "I'm sorry," she said. "I don't want to be put in a position of giving someone special treatment."

Her bailiffs then escorted Bell to a holding cell. Bell, who has been jailed since her conviction Wednesday, is being kept in segregated lockup and has a cell to herself because of dangers she could face from other inmates since she is a judge, her attorneys said.

Her legal woes stem from her attempt to renew her dead mother's handicapped parking tags at the Harris County Tax Office in September 2004. Bell put her mother's name on the renewal application and claimed the tags were for her mother, who had died nine months earlier.

Jurors deliberated Bell's punishment for only two hours Friday before going home for the day.

The final testimony focused on Bell's background and character. A number of Bell's colleagues and friends, many of them high-profile community leaders, took the stand, asking the jury for leniency and compassion. Among the 18 character witnesses testifying on Bell's behalf over a two-day period were the Rev. William Lawson, founding pastor of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church; City Councilwoman Ada Edwards; and state Rep. Alma A. Allen.

Two Harris County prosecutors offered a different view, telling the jury they saw Bell coerce defendants into taking plea bargains when they appeared in her courtroom, even when they asked for trials or claimed they were not guilty.

Prosecutor Alycia Harvey recalled one defendant in Bell's court changed his mind about pleading guilty and asked for a trial, but Bell said it was too late.

Another man fighting a ticket in Bell's court for running a stop sign was told by Bell to pay his fine anyway, although no evidence had been presented yet, said prosecutor Todd Keagle.

"She told the defendant she understood he wanted a trial and said he should go ahead and pay his fine because he was going to be found guilty anyway," he said. Keagle said he then sought to dismiss the case, saying he couldn't prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.

Former police officer jailed in sexual assaults of 6 women

2005-11-19T09:12:00.000-05:00

Houston - A former police officer with four area law enforcement agencies is in the Harris County Jail, charged in the sexual assaults of six women in northwest Houston.

Jerry Lewis Ford, 40, of Houston turned himself in to the Harris County Sheriff's Office early Friday.

He was charged earlier this week with three counts of sexual assault and three counts of burglary. The charges mirror six counts leveled against Ford last May when authorities arrested him in a Harris County courtroom where he had shown up for a hearing on a 2003 sexual assault charge. The 2003 charge later was dismissed when the victim failed to appear in court.

All of the crimes for which Ford is charged occurred during 2001 and 2002, according to prosecutors. Two of the sexual assaults occurred at the same apartment complex in the 5800 block of West Gulf Bank, about a mile from Ford's home.

"I do know sometimes there's a pause in these activities, but never a complete stop to them," Harris County Assistant District Attorney Joe Ownby said. "From that aspect, I would say I'm glad we have him off the street and glad we were able to make the arrest."

Bail was set Friday at $600,000.

The latest charges stem from DNA evidence collected from Ford while he was jailed in May on the previous sexual assault charges. That sample was matched to three other sexual assaults by the Houston police crime lab last month, said Houston Police investigator David Cole.

By then, however, Ford had been released from jail on $180,000 bail. Charged with three counts of sexual assault and three counts of burglary, his bail was set at $30,000 for each charge.

"Everybody was pretty surprised when he was able to make bond a couple days later," Cole said Friday.

Ownby said the bail amount seemed reasonable at the time, despite the fact that Ford was charged with three counts of sexual assault.

"Even though he had more than one rape (filed against him) we didn't have any information when the bond was set that he was a flight risk or that rapes like this were still occurring," Ownby said.

Cole said he has no evidence implicating Ford in any other sexual assaults since his release from jail in May.

Ford's attorney did not return repeated calls for comment.

Several departments

In the near northside neighborhood where Ford had lived for years, residents said they were surprised to learn that a family man, whom they often saw work in his yard, may have had a dark side. None would speak on the record.

Ford lived in the largest home on the block, a two-story house currently under renovation. Most knew him as a former law enforcement officer who appeared to have done well for himself.

According to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education, Ford's career as a lawman extends back to 1987, when he worked as a Department of Public Safety officer in Kendleton.

A little over a year later, he went to work as a police officer for Prairie View A&M University, where he stayed for two years. From 1995 to 1998, Ford was a member of the Hempstead Police Department. His most recent law enforcement job, according to the commission, was as a reserve officer for the Fort Bend Precinct 2 Constable's office from January 2000 to May of 2004.

Resigned in 2004

His arrest Friday came as a surprise to Precinct 2 Chief Deputy Rodney Pentecost, who said Ford had a clean record and no complaints during his tenure there. Pentecost said a regular criminal background check was conducted when Ford was hired.

"He didn't come to us with any history of deep-seated personal problems," Pentecost said.

He said Ford resigned in 2004 without explanation.

"I would hate to think he's being tried in the media," Pentecost said. "I just hope he gets his day in court."

Cole said it's rare for a police officer to be accused in such crimes, adding that in 10 years as an HPD officer, he has arrested two lawmen

But he also described Ford as a dangerous predator.

"Had any of the victims fought him, they would've been hurt severely," Cole said. "We intend to put him behind bars for a long, long time."

Chronicle reporter Armando Villafranca contributed to this report.

Bruceville-Eddy schools searched after superintendent arrested for improper videotaping

2005-11-18T11:41:00.000-05:00

EDDY, Texas – Officials conducted a district-wide search of Bruceville-Eddy school facilities after Superintendent Dan Doyen's arrest Wednesday for placing a hidden video camera in a women's bathroom at the school administration office.

“Under the direction of Dr. Vonn Murray, assistant superintendent of schools, all facilities were checked for inappropriate recording or video devices and none were found,” Bruceville-Eddy High School principal Richard Kilgore said Thursday morning at a press conference as Doyen remained in the McLennan County Jail.

McLennan County Sheriff's Office investigators arrested the 46-year-old Doyen Wednesday after he admitted that he bought a camera disguised to look like an air freshener dispenser with a school credit card and placed it in a restroom used by three administration office employees and female visitors to the building.

Doyen spent the night in jail and was released at 2 p.m. Thursday after posting $7,500 bail on state jail felony charges of improper photography or visual recording.

As news of Doyen's arrest spread through the small community and 1,000-student school system, Kilgore said that school officials have been inundated with phone calls from shocked parents and teachers.

“As a parent myself, I have concerns, and we have been getting a number of calls from people with concerns,” Kilgore said. “That is the reason we searched last night. We recognize and understand that concern and we want to reassure them as much as possible that the bell rang this morning and the kids are in class, teachers are in class doing a good job teaching and our facilities are safe.”

The search convinced school officials that the hidden camera was the only one purchased by Doyen and that “this was an isolated incident that occurred in the administration building only,” Kilgore said.

Bruceville-Eddy school board members met in an emergency meeting Wednesday night and voted unanimously to place Doyen on paid administrative leave pending investigations by school officials and the sheriff's office. They also named Gary Herbert, intermediate school principal, as acting superintendent.

Sheriff's office investigators searched Doyen's office and home Tuesday and seized the hidden camera that Doyen admitted buying with school funds, according to records filed in the case. They also seized computer equipment from his home and office and 11 weapons from his home, records indicate.

Doyen did not return phone messages left at his residence Thursday. He moved to Central Texas in July 2002 from southeast Texas, where he had been superintendent for the West Hardin County Consolidated School District.

Kilgore and Bruceville-Eddy school board president David Duty both said Thursday that Doyen was an enthusiastic, energetic administrator who has improved the district.

“I believe you could ask anyone in the community,” said Duty, a 12-year school board member. “This is such a shock. He always had the best interests of the school in mind. He cared about the school, had several future plans in the works and words can't describe how I feel. You could name 1,000 people and he wouldn't have been one of them that I would ever suspect of doing something like this.”

Duty said he hoped to speak to Doyen later Thursday evening, declining to speculate on his future with the school district. School board members will meet again Monday night, but Duty said he was unsure if they will make a definitive decision on Doyen's future.

Kilgore said school officials could determine within the next two days how Doyen's situation will be handled, adding that his reported confession to the charges will factor into any decision made and perhaps hasten the process.

Joanna Bowden, president of the Bruceville-Eddy Parent-Teacher Organization, said the faculty and staff deserve a secure work environment.

“It was a just terribly unfortunate situation,” she said. “I am sure that our legal system will take care of any crime that may or may not have been committed. But my main concern is for our faculty and staff. I want them to have a safe and secure environment in which to work, one where they feel safe and comfortable. They deserve that at the very least. But I don't know how you fix something like this.”

Chief Deputy Randy Plemons of the McLennan County Sheriff's Office said an investigation into the incident continues, adding that he could not comment on evidence gathered in the case.

According to court records, an administration office clerk alerted investigators after finding a school credit card statement earlier this month for a $299 purchase with no vendor name. After a brief investigation of her own, she uncovered that the purchase was for a surveillance camera that resembles an air freshener dispenser, records indicate.

Later, she and other female office employees found the hidden camera in a restroom used exclusively by women, investigators said in court documents.

Kilgore said Thursday that he was unsure how the hidden camera got from the bathroom, where the women discovered it, to Doyen's office, where search warrant documents revealed that sheriff's investigators seized it on Tuesday.

Kilgore said the women in the office were back at work on Thursday.

“Obviously, they are concerned and shocked and scared and upset,” he said. “But they have handled it very well and professionally, as has everybody in our district. I have been proud of our students and faculty. I was walking the hallways this morning and everybody was going about their business.”

Trail of Abuse Leads to Seminary

2005-11-17T09:20:00.000-05:00

Los Angeles - Any examination of the sexual abuse crisis afflicting the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles leads inevitably to a bell-towered campus in the rolling hills of Camarillo: St. John's Seminary.

The 66-year-old institution has trained hundreds of clerics for the archdiocese and smaller jurisdictions across Southern California and beyond. It is the alma mater of Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, Diocese of Orange Bishop Tod Brown and other prominent prelates. Former San Francisco Archbishop William Levada, now the Vatican's chief enforcer of doctrine, taught at the school.

But St. John's, the only seminary operated by the archdiocese, also has produced a disproportionate number of alleged sexual abusers as it prepared men for a life of ministry and celibacy, records show.

About 10% of St. John's graduates reported to have been ordained in the Los Angeles Archdiocese since 1950 — 65 of roughly 625 — have been accused of molesting minors, according to a review of ordination announcements, lawsuits, published reports and the archdiocese's 2004 list of alleged abusers. In two classes — 1966 and 1972 — a third of the graduates were later accused of molestation.

The St. John's figures are much higher than the nationwide rate of alleged molesters in the American priesthood, as calculated by a church-commissioned survey. The John Jay College of Criminal Justice study found that 4% of priests and deacons between 1950 and 2002 have been accused of abuse.

"The numbers get scary," said Patrick Wall, a former monk who works for an Orange County law firm that represents alleged abuse victims suing the church, including about 100 who have accused St. John's graduates. "I don't think it's coincidental."

Archdiocese officials deny that the seminary was in any way responsible.

Spokesman Tod Tamberg blamed intense publicity over sexual abuse in the church for the higher rate of accusations involving St. John's graduates, and noted that a California law temporarily lifting the statute of limitations for molestation lawsuits brought a flood of allegations against Los Angeles priests.

But J. Michael Hennigan, a lawyer for the archdiocese, conceded that exaggerated claims alone cannot account for the large numbers of alleged abusers in some graduating classes.

"There were a couple of years at that seminary where lightning struck," Hennigan said. "I doubt we'll ever figure out why."

Several former students recall a licentious atmosphere at St. John's that might have accommodated a range of sexual behavior, especially in the years before the 1990s.

They say that many classmates routinely broke their celibacy vows, that emotionally troubled students were allowed to drift though the seminary, and that administrators either were ignorant about sex on campus or turned a blind eye to it.

Some told of seminarians having sex in St. John's dormitories, bathrooms and orange groves.

"There was an awful lot that was shocking," said Jaime Romo, who lost his passion for the priesthood after three years at St. John's in the early 1980s. Now an education professor at the University of San Diego, a Catholic school, Romo has sued the Los Angeles Archdiocese, accusing the late priest Leland Boyer of molesting him as a teenager.

He remembered a small group of students who dressed in nuns' clothes during his time at St. John's, and others who were "full-blown alcoholics." He said the faculty avoided any talk of sex: "There was no discussion of celibacy."

A number of active priests who attended St. John's said they had never witnessed sexual activity at the seminary, and believed the administration would not have tolerated it. "Could guys have carried on a secret life? Sure," said Leon Hutton, a St. John's history teacher who graduated in 1980. "But it certainly wouldn't have been condoned."

The John Jay survey determined that the quarter-century from 1960 through 1984 was particularly troublesome for alleged abuse by clerics nationwide. At St. John's, about 15% of priests who graduated during that period and served in the Los Angeles Archdiocese were accused of sexual abuse, records show.

Some of the allegations have resulted in criminal convictions or civil settlements. Most are unresolved. The accusations lodged in civil complaints have not been formally denied because the suits are the subject of a court mediation, Hennigan said.

Typically, the suits focus on incidents that allegedly occurred after a priest left the seminary. But in a 2003 suit, Esther Miller alleges that a seminarian sexually abused her at St. John's in the mid-1970s.

Miller, now a human resources manager, accuses former priest Michael Nocita of molesting her when she was 16 and 17 while he was a deacon seminarian assigned to her family's parish in Van Nuys.

The suit, which names the archdiocese rather than Nocita as a defendant, also alleges that St. John's then-rector, John Grindel, once saw Nocita embracing her in his dorm room but did not ask why she was there.

"He just closed the door," said Miller, who says that Nocita molested her in the dorm and the orange groves.

Attempts to reach Nocita and Grindel for comment were unsuccessful. They have not responded formally to the lawsuits because of the mediation process, Hennigan said.

Other suits allege that a St. John's student molested three sisters — ages 6 to 15 — while visiting their home as part of a "field pastoral education" program in the early 1980s. The lawsuits do not identify the student.

Wayne Yehling, a Tucson attorney who received a philosophy degree from St. John's now-closed undergraduate college in 1982, said most of his classmates had been committed to celibacy, but "there was a great deal of sexual activity among students. I saw it, and yes, I participated in it." Yehling said he had a sexual relationship with another student for most of his three years at St. John's.

"It was like shooting fish in a barrel to seduce somebody there," he said of the college, a gateway to the graduate theology school. "You learned to hide what you do."

Yehling and others noted that engaging in consensual sex at the seminary and molesting minors were hugely different things, and said no link between them should be inferred.

They also said, however, that St. John's administrators and teachers had appeared so oblivious to sex on campus that it would have been possible for students who exhibited sexually abusive behavior to go unchecked while at the school.

Fred Berlin, an associate professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, said if a "subculture of permissiveness" had taken hold at St. John's, students prone to molestation might have found it easier to succumb to their desires.

"We often see that people, when they get into these group situations, will sometimes behave in ways they might not otherwise behave," said Berlin, an expert on sexual disorders.

Berlin said he knew of cases in which young men tormented by their sexual urges entered seminaries in the hope that a celibacy vow would still their impulses.

"When they get there," he said, "it's a very different reality."

Robert Greene, who left St John's undergraduate college in 1972 after a year, said the vast majority of students took their vocation seriously. "But many people seemed almost preadolescent…. They were pretty much shipped through the system in this kind of numb state." He said the seminary "did a disservice by not emphasizing spiritual and psychological development."

Greene, a part-time Anglican minister who works in aerospace finance, said he quit the seminary because Robert Manning, who was serving as a visiting cleric at Greene's Redondo Beach parish, had been molesting him.

"He would pick me up at St. John's and take me home," said Greene, who has sued the church, alleging that Manning began to abuse him in high school.

Archdiocese officials have labeled Manning a "bogus priest," saying they cannot confirm that he was ordained. He is not a defendant in the suit and could not be reached for comment.

Luis Godinez, who briefly attended St. John's in the late 1980s, said he left because he was offended by the promiscuity on campus.

He said he often could not use his dorm bathroom at night because it was occupied by men having sex.

In 2003, Godinez sued the church, alleging that Stockton priest Fernando Villalobos, who died in 1985, had molested him as a boy. The suit is pending.

During the 1970s and '80s, St. John's sometimes played host to a Tucson priest, Robert Trupia, who brought young men interested in becoming priests to the seminary as part of his "Come and See" program, according to court documents.

Arizona authorities arrested Trupia on child molestation charges in 2000, but dropped the case because of the statute of limitations.

In 2002, the church paid a multimillion-dollar settlement to nine former altar boys and another alleged victim who accused Trupia and three other Arizona priests of molestation.

The mother of one boy who was a witness in the case wrote to church officials that her son had an "especially painful memory" of spending two nights at St. John's with Trupia, and waking to find the priest sitting on the child's bed.

"The bedcovers were pulled down but [he] doesn't know or remember if Trupia touched him while he slept," the mother wrote. "He does know that the door to his room was locked…. The door wasn't locked when he went to bed."

Hennigan said the archdiocese found that Trupia had been "discouraged from further visits to St. John's," but there was no record of the reason. "We heard he was banned," he said.

Msgr. James Gehl, who was at St. John's for eight years ending in 1974, first at the undergraduate college and then in the theology school, said he saw nothing of the sexually charged environment others describe. "I'm not saying there weren't [instances of sexual activity], but I never heard of one," he said. "Sometimes people were dismissed, and we were never given the reason."

Gehl, now pastor at St. Bede the Venerable in La Cañada Flintridge, said it "blew me away" to learn of abuse allegations against a former classmate and a second St. John's graduate with whom Gehl shared a church residence for three years in Palmdale. "I never would have guessed," he said.

Back then, he said, there was little if any psychological vetting of students: "When I went to the seminary college, I just went from 12th grade to 13th grade. I don't remember being interviewed in any psychological way."

"We were all ignorant," said the Rev. Msgr. Helmut Hefner, a 1969 St. John's graduate who is rector of the seminary. "I went to school with people who subsequently became abusers. I couldn't tell. There was no hint."

Hefner said a reluctance by seminaries to aggressively address sexual matters in the 1960s and '70s might have inadvertently opened the door to a few young men with abusive tendencies. "Sexual issues were taboo," he said.

Seminaries have since adopted tougher measures to weed out candidates who might have a predilection for perversions, and Hefner says the regimen of background checks, psychological tests and celibacy counseling is working.

"It's gotten more sophisticated," he said. "We are much more aware of the risk factors."

He sees a bright future for St. John's. Enrollment has been holding steady at about 100, he said.

The archdiocese is selling 60 of St. John's 100 acres to developers, with the proceeds to secure the seminary's endowment.

Like other seminaries, however, St. John's has been laboring to reverse a decline in its output of priests, a trend that resulted in the 2003 closure of the undergraduate school.

Its ordinations have lagged far behind the growth in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, the nation's most populous with 5 million Catholics.

Today's student body, Hefner said, is about half foreign-born with an average age of 34. He said any problems of immaturity, sexual and otherwise, have disappeared.

"The scandals have only kind of encouraged people to work harder at what we're about," Hefner said.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

Priest Removed From Job After Suit Alleging Abuse

2005-11-17T08:52:00.000-05:00

[The Rev. Aaron Joseph Cote is shown in an undated photo with Brandon Rains, now 18. Rains alleges that Cote abused him at Mother Seton Catholic Church. (Family Photo Via Associated Press) ]

Providence, Rhode Island - A Roman Catholic priest was removed from his job at a Rhode Island parish after being accused yesterday in a D.C. Superior Court lawsuit of sexually abusing a Germantown teenager over several months in 2001 and 2002.

The Rev. Aaron Joseph Cote, 54, associate pastor at St. Pius V Church in Providence, was put on administrative leave, according to the vicar provincial of Cote's religious order, the Dominicans. "He'll be marking time until this is resolved," said the Rev. Raymond Daley.

Cote's removal from ministry came hours after the parents of the alleged victim, Brandon Rains, announced at a sidewalk news conference that their son, now 18, had filed a lawsuit against Cote.

The conference, which was arranged by the victims' advocacy group Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, took place outside the downtown Washington hotel where U.S. bishops were holding their semiannual meeting.

The parents, Toni and Joseph McMorrow, who live in Frederick, said they had been appalled to discover that their son's alleged abuser was still in ministry with responsibility for youth ministry. "Our purpose is just to protect other kids," said Toni McMorrow.

"The bishops are not following their own policy," said Barbara Blaine, president of the advocacy group. "They promised . . . that if a priest is credibly accused, he will be removed from ministry, pending an investigation, and that did not happen here."

Rains, a former altar boy at Mother Seton parish in Germantown, where Cote was associate pastor in 2001 and 2002, alleges in his suit that the priest "engaged in unpermitted and harmful sexual conduct and contact" with Rains when he was 14 and 15 years old, causing him "severe and permanent emotional distress."

The suit also names the Washington archdiocese and the Dominican order as defendants, alleging that their negligence allowed Cote to harm Rains.

Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the Washington archdiocese, said archdiocesan officials first became aware of Rains's allegations in August 2003. They informed Montgomery County police and its child protective services and offered help to Rains, who was in therapy at the time, she added.

The archdiocese also informed the Dominican order, which removed Cote from ministry and sent him to a treatment center for psychological evaluation. But in October 2003, "we were informed by Montgomery County authorities that the case was not moving forward," Gibbs said. "They had attempted to meet with Brandon, and that had not happened."

Toni McMorrow said that her son, then living in Florida, spoke with police on the phone in 2003 but did not have a personal interview with investigators until March 2004.

Lucille Baur, spokeswoman for Montgomery police, said she could not comment on whether police had interviewed Rains or provide other details of the investigation. She said the case "remains open, but the investigation was suspended pending further information. . . . Our detectives would welcome anyone who has any information regarding these crimes to contact [us]."

Cote also served in two other area churches: St. Dominic Church and Priory in the District and St. Jane Frances de Chantal Church in Bethesda.

At the news conference, Joe McMorrow acknowledged that "police said they didn't have enough evidence for a criminal prosecution."

Gibbs said the Dominican order informed Montgomery child protection officials and police that they were restoring Cote to active ministry in October 2003, after his psychological evaluation.

Two months ago, Joe McMorrow said, he contacted the archdiocese seeking information on what had happened to Cote. In 2003 "we were assured a thorough investigation would be undertaken, and then we heard nothing," he said.

The case illustrates how investigations of abuse can become more complicated when the alleged perpetrator belongs to a religious order. Under church regulations, it is the order, not the diocese, that has responsibility for disciplining its members, Gibbs said.

Cote did not reply to an e-mail seeking comment, and an official at St. Pius V Church referred a reporter to Daley, the Dominican vicar provincial.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Drug Charges May Force Pastor's Deportation

2005-11-17T08:28:00.000-05:00

Cincinnati, Ohio - A pastor for one of Cincinnati's largest church congregations is facing deportation due to drug convictions dating back three decades.

From serving time in prison to serving God -- that's the choice Pastor Keith Thomas made 35-years ago while in an English prison on marijuana charges.

But despite that life-changing choice, for the pastor of Vineyard Community Church in Springdale, it might not be enough to keep him stateside.

"It would be so wonderful just to wake up in the morning and know where I am going to be the next day," said Thomas, "and not feel my past continues to reverberate into my future."

Serving those who serve the Lord -- that's what Pastor Thomas has spent the past five years doing since coming to the U.S. -- now that all may soon be coming to an end.

Told earlier this year that his green card and work visa request to stay in the country were denied, likely due to questions he answered on a form while trying to stay in the U.S. with his American-born wife.

The question? -- "Have you ever been convicted ... of any drug offense?"

And Thomas had. Twice.

"Big deal," said Beverly Lamby, a member of the Vineyard Community Church.

"I am 74-years-old," said Lamby. "I can remember trying marijuana. Never tried anything else, but did try marijuana. I mean, what is the big deal?"

Lamby joined the congregation long before Pastor Thomas arrived.

"As an American citizen, I feel like I'm being short-changed," said Lamby.

"The immigration office isn't doing their job in the proper way," said Lamby. "They are targeting the wrong people."

Even worse, Thomas hasn't been told when he could be asked to leave the country.

In the interim, the lives of his wife and three children hang in the balance, as well.

"I don't know what is happening next week, let alone next year," said Thomas.

Wally Bates serves on several leadership teams at the church with Thomas.

"We've all sinned, we've all had mistakes in our past and if we act like we haven't -- I mean we are fooling somebody," said Bates.

"Keith's not hiding anything," said Bates, "and he is living a Christ-like life."

"At the end of the day you trust God, he knows what he is doing," said Thomas, "and we will see."

When asked if he had to do it all over again -- if he would tell the truth while filling out the form, listing previous convictions -- he said that he would, even with the prospect of having to leave the country.

Thomas told 9News that not only would he fill out the paperwork honestly --but that anyone who is close to God, would do the same.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

Pastor Arrested On Sexual Abuse Charges

2005-11-17T08:22:00.000-05:00

Linthicum, Md. (AP) - Baltimore County police have charged the pastor of the Redemption Christian Fellowship in Woodlawn with sexually abusing children he was counseling.

Police say 39-year-old Gerald Fitroy Griffith, of the 1300-block of Peach Tree Court in Bowie, is charged with several counts of child abuse.

Police say they were contacted by five victims about alleged sexual abuse. Police say an investigation found that Griffith was sexually abusing the victims during counseling sessions in the church office.

Griffith was arrested Tuesday while waiting to board a flight to London at BWI.

He has been charged with sexual abuse to a minor, perverted practice, sodomy, second-, third-, and fourth-degree sex offense and second-degree assault. Bail was set at $600,000.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

Return to Bobo's World's homepage.

Priest accused of having sex in truck stop

2005-11-16T09:33:00.000-05:00

ST. ROSE, La. - A 57-year-old priest has been arrested and booked with crime against nature after being accused of having sex with another man in the bathroom stall of a Saint Rose truck stop.

The Reverend Dean Robins of Kenner, who has served as pastor of the Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church, was booked along with 35-year-old Marbin Tursios of Saint Rose.

A sheriff's deputy from Saint Charles Parish noticed two men in one stall Sunday.

Rev. William Maestri, spokesman for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, says Robins has been placed on administrative leave.

Robins was released after posting a five-thousand dollar bond. Tursios remains in jail.

Robins could not be located for comment.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Judge orders release of priest sex abuse records

2005-11-16T09:27:00.000-05:00

BURLINGTON, Vt. --A judge has ordered the release of church records and documents relating to the clergy sexual abuse scandal that are held by the attorney general's office.

Chittenden County Superior Court Judge Ben Joseph said disclosing the files to a lawyer representing 13 people charging they were sexually abused in the past by priests "is clearly in the 'public interest.'"

Jerome O'Neill, the attorney for the alleged 13 victims, praised the decision. He said until now, the statewide Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington has been less than forthcoming in responding to his pretrial disclosure requests.

"We have only had a half-told story to date," O'Neill said. "We believe the new documents will show how the diocese permitted known sexual abusers to come to Vermont, moved the abusers from parish to parish, covered up for them and protected them at the expense of its children."

O'Neill's request that the diocese also turn over documents has not been decided. The documents that were the subject of Joseph's order were transcripts of interviews conducted by the attorney general's office or paperwork turned over voluntarily by the diocese.

Assistant Attorney General Caroline Earle said she was disappointed with Joseph's decision and that her office might ask him to reconsider.

"We disagree with his legal analysis that the public interest is served by the disclosure of our entire criminal investigative file," Earle said. "There is an extreme number of very sensitive documents here."

Among the diocesan files that Joseph has ordered the state to turn over to O'Neill are clergy medical and personnel records, victim disclosure statements, and letters between the diocese and the state Social and Rehabilitation Services Department.

Diocesan attorney William O'Brien said the diocese turned over documents with the understanding that they would be kept confidential.

"We are very sensitive about the privacy rights of third parties who aren't part of any litigation and probably won't appreciate having their names out in the public domain," O'Brien said.

The state's criminal investigation, conducted in 2002, led to the church's suspension of six active priests. No criminal charges were filed.

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Opening arguments heard in pastor sex-abuse case

2005-11-16T09:21:00.000-05:00

Towanda, Pennsylvania - A jury was seated and opening arguments heard Monday in the case of a Milan pastor accused of sexually abusing a female parishioner, with further proceedings scheduled for today.

Church on the Hill pastor Wesley A. Nichols, 44, of Milan faces one count each of corruption of minors, a first-degree misdemeanor, and indecent assault, a second-degree misdemeanor, as well as other charges in New York.

State police say Nichols kissed and fondled a now-16-year-old female parishioner beginning three years ago. There is no allegation that Nichols used any physical force against the girl, an attorney for Nichols said in December.

Jury selection took "several hours," according to Bradford County First Assistant District Attorney Albert Ondrey, with opening statements heard following the seating of the jury. Ondrey declined to specify details of the arguments, citing the ongoing nature of the case.

The trial will continue at 8:30 a.m. today at the Bradford County Courthouse in Towanda, Ondrey said.

Two counts each of corruption of minors and indecent assault, second-degree misdemeanors, against Nichols were dropped following a pre-trial conference April 22, according to Ondrey.

In New York, Nichols is charged with sexual abuse in the third degree and endangering the welfare of a child, according to investigator Mike Meyers of the New York State Police in Owego, N.Y.

Ondrey said the filing of charges in New York prompted the dropping of the Bradford County counts, after it was determined that only one incident happened in Bradford County. Ondrey declined to comment on whether the victim in the Bradford County case and New York state case were the same individual, citing privacy laws.

According to New York state police, the crimes, which occurred in Barton within the past year, were very similar to the ones in Pennsylvania, and involved a then-14-year-old girl.

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Youth pastor is on his way to trial

2005-11-16T09:18:00.000-05:00

REDWOOD CITY, California — A former Redwood City youth pastor accused of fondling young parishioners will go to trial for five felony counts of molestation.
Christopher Fouts, 26, was held to answer Tuesday after he chose to forgo his preliminary hearing, where prosecutors outline the case against a defendant in an effort to prove there is enough evidence for a trial.

Fouts appeared in court wearing a suit and was accompanied by nearly a dozen people. He will be arraigned Dec. 16 in San Mateo County Superior Court.

Prosecutors say Fouts molested two boys — ages 13 and 14 — during Peninsula Covenant Church activities. He worked as a youth pastor for the Redwood City church for three years before he was fired in June, when police launched an investigation into the alleged molestations.

Redwood City police say in addition to the two local boys, three boys who live outside the San Mateo County district attorney's jurisdiction have made accusations against Fouts.

Fouts is free on a $100,000 property bond.

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2 priests accused of abuse can no longer serve

2005-11-15T08:56:00.000-05:00

Seattle, Washington - The Vatican has decided that two local priests accused of child sexual abuse — the Revs. George Barry Ashwell and David P. Jaeger — will no longer serve as priests, the Seattle Roman Catholic Archdiocese announced Monday.

The Vatican defrocked Ashwell, 62, who served in several local parishes, including more than two decades as pastor of St. Augustine Church in Oak Harbor. Defrocking — or, in church terms, "forcible laicization" — is the most severe church penalty available in the abuse cases that have come to light nationwide since 2002.

The Vatican granted Jaeger's request to leave the priesthood — a "voluntary laicization." Jaeger, 62, had headed the archdiocese's AIDS ministry and had served in several parishes.

They are the second and third priests in the Seattle Archdiocese who have been laicized since U.S. bishops passed a policy three years ago that says a priest with a single credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor cannot remain in active ministry.

Ashwell is the subject of two pending lawsuits. Another suit against him was settled last year. The church also had settled about 10 years ago with another man who had claimed long-ago abuse.

Ashwell, who could not be reached for comment Monday, previously has denied the allegations.

He had served as an assistant in several parishes in Western Washington and as pastor of St. Augustine Church from 1978 to 2000. In 2001, he was named pastor of St. Aloysius Church in Buckley and Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Wilkeson, Pierce County.

He was placed on administrative leave in 2001 after a lawsuit filed in Clark County accused him of abuse in the 1970s.

Jaeger has admitted to inappropriately touching eight to 10 minors at Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) camps in the 1970s. The Seattle Archdiocese settled two of those cases, one in 1989 and one late last year.

Jaeger served in prominent roles in the archdiocese, as head of its AIDS ministry from 1990 to 2002 and, years ago, as the archdiocese's director of seminarians and director of the CYO. He served as a parish assistant at St. Joseph Church in Vancouver, Wash., from 1969 to 1972 and at Immaculate Conception Church in Everett from 1972 to 1975.

He also served as administrator at St. Therese Church in Seattle around 1988-89. He was placed on leave in 2002.

Ashwell's and Jaeger's were two of 13 cases investigated by the archdiocese's case-review board, which recommends to the archbishop what should be done with accused priests. The archbishop's decision is then forwarded to the Vatican for review.

In Ashwell's case, the archdiocese's case-review board and Archbishop Alex Brunett both recommended that the priest be defrocked, said archdiocese spokesman Greg Magnoni.

In Jaeger's case, the archdiocese's case-review board and the bishop had recommended he be permanently barred from ministry, one step short of defrocking.

Jaeger decided instead to petition the Vatican for voluntary laicization.

"At this point, it just seemed like a good thing to move on in a spirit of peace for the good of my own soul and the good of others," Jaeger said Monday.

"That's all I want to say about that. It's probably going to be better for me to continue living my Catholic faith, which I fully intend to do, in this way."

Patrick D'Amelio, 40, who had come forward in 1988 to the Seattle Archdiocese with allegations against Jaeger, said Monday, "I haven't had the time to fully understand Dave's [Jaeger's] decision. Nor have I had any conversations with the archdiocese about the process. So I'm not prepared to comment on it."

Dave Hamilton, a 40-year-old furniture maker in Seattle who said Jaeger molested him one evening at a CYO camp in 1978, said he was "disappointed in the entire system and how it's treating people."

Hamilton, whose grandfather, J. Gordon Hamilton, played a prominent role in the development of CYO's camping program in Western Washington, settled with the Seattle Archdiocese in December 2004.

Of the 13 cases reviewed by the archdiocese, three were deemed not credible.

Of the remaining 10, the Vatican has decided on seven, including Ashwell and Jaeger. It defrocked John Cornelius. Four others — the Revs. James Gandrau, David Anthony Linehan, James McGreal and Patrick Desmond McMahon — were permanently barred from ministry.

Three cases are awaiting the Vatican's final decision.

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Priest, deacon accused of misconduct

2005-11-15T08:54:00.000-05:00

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia yesterday reported that it has restricted the duties of a Bucks County priest and asked a deacon and teacher at St. Joseph's Preparatory School to resign in response to allegations of inappropriate physical contact with minors.

Msgr. Charles J. Schaeflein, 86, who spent 25 years in archdiocesan high schools and 12 as pastor of St. Andrew parish in Newtown, has been barred from performing pastoral duties while the archdiocese and the Bucks County District Attorney's Office investigate recent allegations that he sexually abused a minor more than 15 years ago.

And the Rev. Mr. Charles Ginn Jr., an ordained deacon, was asked to resign last week from St. Joseph's Prep in North Philadelphia as a result of allegations he had inappropriately kissed and hugged three students in 1996. Ginn, who as deacon is capable of performing several priestly duties, including baptism, had taught history at the prestigious Jesuit boys' school for 29 years.

Donna Farrell, spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said the church was investigating the allegations against Ginn and would report the allegations to the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.

"We have pledged to be open," Farrell said. "One of the things we have been so strong about is that we report all allegations to the proper authorities. We have learned we're not the investigators."

The announcement comes nearly two months after a grand jury detailed decades of abuse by clergy, inspiring more people to come forward with allegations of abuse.

In the days after the grand jury report was published, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office reported receiving a flood of fresh allegations. Cathie Abookire, spokeswoman for the office, would not say yesterday how many new cases were under investigation.

The Rev. Bruce M. Bidinger, president of St. Joseph's Prep, said he informed students and their parents of Ginn's departure in a letter Friday. He and members of the school's board of trustees met with students and parents to discuss the issue last night.

"I knew it was the right thing to do," Bidinger said in an interview. "We need to communicate quickly, clearly and transparently to parents. Our students are our first priority."

Ginn, who was ordained as a deacon in June 2001, has been assisting with pastoral duties at St. Katharine of Siena Church in Wayne. He could not be reached for comment last night.

Bidinger said he was contacted by the archdiocese Nov. 7 after a parishioner from St. Katharine reported the allegations that had been made against Ginn in 1996.

At that time, Ginn denied any inappropriate "intent."

Bidinger said that officials who were in charge of the Prep in the mid-1990s, however, had reprimanded Ginn, mandated psychiatric evaluation and counseling for him, and limited his ability to interact with students outside class.

After the allegations resurfaced last week, Bidinger said, the school's administration reexamined the issue and concluded Ginn could not remain at the school. He resigned Wednesday and left immediately.

"There have been no accusations since 1996 that I am aware of," Bidinger said yesterday.

At last night's meeting at St. Joseph's, Bidinger told an audience of about 150 people in Kelly Fieldhouse that, in retrospect, he wished he had fired Ginn when he took over the school in 2002.

Some parents and students spoke highly of Ginn. Others were critical.

Jane Robinson, parent of a freshman, said that if three victims had come forward, there might be 30 who were unwilling to talk about an incident with Ginn.

"What scares me to death is the church in the past kept telling us our children are safe," Robinson said. "Well, they're not."

Msgr. John J. Jagodzinski, pastor at St. Katharine, told parishioners at Mass over the weekend that Ginn would no longer be delivering homilies or performing baptisms, pending the outcome of the investigation.

"We are very saddened," Jagodzinski said. "He has served here faithfully and been a wonderful presence. We loved having his services as a deacon."

Farrell said the accusation against Schaeflein surfaced a few weeks ago, after the grand jury released its report Sept. 21.

She would not say where in Bucks County Schaeflein was stationed when the abuse was alleged to have taken place. Nor would she disclose the accuser's gender or say how old he or she was when the abuse allegedly occurred.

Schaeflein was pastor of St. Andrew parish from 1977 until his retirement in 1989. He also served as principal at the former Bishop Conwell High School in Fairless Hills from 1965 to 1977.

No charges have been filed against Schaeflein, who retired 16 years ago amid a real estate controversy. Without authority from the archdiocese, he made a deal to sell 23 acres of church-owned land to a woman who intended to run a bird sanctuary. The case resulted in a lawsuit against the archdiocese.

Schaeflein, who until last weekend said Mass regularly at two parishes and was chaplain at a home for retired nuns, did not return a call yesterday. Farrell said she could not comment on Schaeflein's response to the allegation.

While church and civil authorities investigate, Schaeflein is not allowed to say Mass publicly, administer sacraments, wear a clerical collar, or present himself as a priest.

At St. Martin of Tours parish in New Hope, where Schaeflein said the 11 a.m. Mass every other Sunday, the Rev. Frederick Kindon said he would be missed.

"The folks at our parish like him very much," Kindon said. "He's very welcoming with the people."

At Mount Nazareth retirement home in Northeast Philadelphia, Sister Jude, a superior of the Sisters of the Holy Family, called Schaeflein a "very caring, extraordinary, good person."

She said Schaeflein moved out of his residence there over the weekend. Farrell said he now lives in a retirement home for retired priests in Delaware County.

Schaeflein was ordained in 1949 and served at Holy Trinity parish in Morrisville in 1949 and 1950, at St. Ann parish in Phoenixville from 1950 to 1952, at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia from 1952 to 1963, and at Cardinal O'Hara High School in Delaware County from 1963 to 1965. Until recently, he also said Mass at St. Matthew parish in Northeast Philadelphia.

Following protocol adopted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2002, cases of abuse are first investigated, then turned over to a six-person board made up of laypeople and clergy. The board recommends action to the cardinal, who can suspend a priest from ministry or move to defrock him.

The grand jury identified 54 archdiocesan priests as abusers. Of those, 12 have been defrocked, 10 are being defrocked or have legally challenged the move, 22 are in restricted ministry, nine are dead, and one is in prison.

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Accused priest could get 100-year sentence

2005-11-15T08:51:00.000-05:00

MESA, Arizona - A former west Valley Catholic priest faces more than 100 years in prison if jurors decide to convict him of molesting six boys in Arizona after a monthlong trial in a Mesa courtroom.

Rev. Paul LeBrun, 49, already stripped of his priestly duties, preyed upon vulnerable young boys whose parents were abusive, divorced or abandoned by their fathers in Arizona and Indiana, prosecutor Suzanne Cohen said.

"He was basically a wolf in sheep's clothing," Cohen said during closing arguments Monday. "Everything he did was to get close to these little boys. Everything he did was to abuse these little boys." advertisement

But defense attorney Ken Hulls said the victims, which included four more boys in Indiana, didn't come forward for decades and are motivated by greed.

Hulls said four victims have filed civil suits, that some are convicted felons, and that one offered a cellmate a $500,000 bribe to falsely testify that LeBrun confessed to the molestations.

Larry Ponte refused the bribe and testified instead as LeBrun's only witness, saying that the victim hoped to make millions after he was "supposedly molested" by LeBrun.

Huls also said at least three of LeBrun's accusers have felony records. But Cohen said Ponte also has a criminal record and jurors must decide who is more credible.

Cohen said LeBrun's conduct resulted in one victim turning to gangs and drugs, but none of them blame LeBrun for all of their problems.

"It was a decade of abuse, 10 little boys who gave their trust, their love, their faith," she said. "He not only scarred them as boys, he scarred them as men."

LeBrun is accused of abusing west Valley boys ranging from 11 to 16 between 1986 and 1991 at St. John Vianney Church in Avondale and Blessed Sacrament Church in Tolleson.

The priest, who has a gray goatee and glasses, faces seven counts of sexual conduct with a minor and five counts of child molestation.

Jurors also can consider the testimony of four victims from Indiana, who ranged in age from 9 to 13, between 1979 and 1986, when LeBrun was transferred to Arizona.

LeBrun cannot be convicted for crimes committed in Indiana, but jurors can use the evidence to determine if he has "a character trait that predisposes him to commit the crimes charged."

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Bronx nun, 68, goes public about being abused by priest in 1950s

2005-11-15T08:49:00.000-05:00

LARCHMONT, N.Y. -- A 68-year-old nun who is an accomplished educator and counselor told a crowd of Catholics on Monday night that she was abused from the age of 11 by a priest who took advantage of her grief when her big sister died in a car crash.

"He would hug me ... and then he would be all over me," Sister Claire Smith said. "It was the 1950s, and I was an Irish Catholic girl from the Bronx. I thought priests were almost godlike."

The abuse continued until she was 18, she said, and "I was robbed of my growing up."

Smith, who has multiple sclerosis and broke her legs in an accident two weeks ago, spoke from a motorized wheelchair at the Larchmont Avenue Presbyterian Church to the local chapter of Voice of the Faithful, an organization that supports victims of priests' abuse and seeks a larger voice in church governance.

She said she became an Ursuline nun because she admired the nuns of the parish, but "hiding may have been a part of it." Because of the abuse, she considered herself unfit for romance and marriage, she said, because "Who would ever have me? I'm used goods."

But she made "a creative U-turn," stopped blaming herself, got psychiatric help and dedicated herself to a robust career. She was an antiwar and civil rights activist, earned graduate degrees in theology and counseling, taught at the College of New Rochelle and put in time as principal at her old school in the Bronx.

She still does counseling, sometimes for priests and nuns.

"Strange to say, the experience of being abused has helped sometimes when I counsel others who had the same experience," she said.

One woman in the audience criticized Smith for putting up with abuse when she was as old as 18. But Smith said she kept it to herself into her 40s because in the years before the scandal of abusive priests broke nationwide, "No one would have believed me. People would hate me if I told them."

Smith refused to name the priest, who she said is now dead, partly because she signed a confidentiality agreement with the Archdiocese of New York when she reported the abuse in the 1980s and received "a paltry sum" for counseling.

An archdiocese spokesman, Joseph Zwilling, said he was aware of Smith's story but couldn't comment on her claims. He said, however, that three years ago the archdiocese released people from such confidentiality agreements, leaving Smith free to name the priest.

Smith said she decided to go public after she mentioned the abuse to a writer profiling her for the College of New Rochelle alumni magazine.

"I figured, you never know who might be in the audience, waiting to hear from someone who overcame it," she said.

Smith said that once she had come to terms with her experience, she intended to confront the priest about it. But when she found him, he was in a nursing home and "rather confused. He could barely get my name."

"I decided I was not going to send him to his grave with the burden I was carrying," she said. "I forgave his limitations, and I forgave myself for waiting so long to get over what happened to me."

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Minister gets prison for rape attempt

2005-11-15T08:43:00.000-05:00

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - An ordained minister and former Lancaster youth pastor received a prison sentence Oct. 31 for attempting to rape a woman with whom he was previously intimate.

The Rev. Gregory Fladeland was sentenced to 3½ to 7 years in state prison, plus 4 years' probation, after a jury found him guilty in September of one count each of criminal attempt at rape, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and simple assault.Assistant District Attorney Sue Ellison prosecuted the case before Judge James P. Cullen. Defense attorney Alan Goldberg, who represented Fladeland, said Friday that an appeal will be filed but declined to comment further.

According to a report filed by Millersville police Sgt. Howard R. Bauman, a woman with whom Fladeland had a previous relationship told police she woke to find him in her bedroom in the early morning hours of Aug. 22, 2004.

Fladeland lived nearby.

Despite her request that he leave, Bauman reports, Fladeland stayed, telling the woman he "was going to have sex with her ... ."

The woman grabbed a phone and attempted to call police, Bauman says in the affidavit of probable cause, but Fladeland wrestled it away from her.

"Greg Fladeland took his clothes off and proceeded to force (the woman) to have sex with him," the report states. "(The woman) stated that she tried to force him away, but Greg was too strong."

Fladeland pulled down the woman's pajama bottoms and ripped off her top, Bauman says in the report.

"(The woman) was fighting Greg and bit him on the right shoulder," Bauman's report states. "Greg Fladeland then said, 'Oh, this is how you want it.' Greg Fladeland then struck (the woman) in the head two to three times with an open fist."

Fladeland ultimately was unable to complete the sexual act, according to Bauman's report.

"After a few minutes of struggling, Greg Fladeland stopped," according to the criminal complaint. "(The woman) went to the bathroom. After a time in the bathroom, Greg Fladeland asked her what she wanted to do, and (she) again told him to leave. Greg Fladeland left."

Fladeland testified he believed the attempted sexual intercourse was consensual and that the woman bit him "playfully."

"Being nervous and feeling bad about my inability to perform, I started to laugh out of frustration," Fladeland said. "I guess she thought I was laughing at her, and she bit me on the arm."

In addition to the jail time, Cullen ordered Fladeland to provide a DNA sample to authorities and to comply with Pennsylvania's Megan's Law statute by registering his whereabouts with state police for the rest of his life. Fladeland also was ordered to undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation while incarcerated, plus any psychiatric or psychological treatment deemed necessary.

Fladeland worked part time for Covenant United Methodist Church at Orange and Mulberry streets after being hired in September 2000, according to newspaper reports. He led the youth program several days a week. He had worked in youth ministry for 15 years before that and also worked part time as a campus minister at Millersville University.

Fladeland was ordained in the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church and graduated from McMurry University in Abilene, Texas, and Emory University School of Theology in Atlanta.

He lived in Texas since September 2004.

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Church group faces off against another over subsidized gas

2005-11-15T08:38:00.000-05:00

Cat fight!

Auburn, California - As the community celebrated the opening of a new church in Auburn Sunday, another church protested the services because of objections to the congregation's "merchandising" and "business-like" strategies.

At issue was the New Life Christian Church's gas subsidizing event last weekend in Auburn. The church paid for more than 200 people to purchase gas at a discounted rate of $1.99 per gallon.

New Life Senior Pastor Bill Jenkins said recently the event was designed to show that God is interested in things that affect people's lives, such as gas prices.

Members welcomed many newcomers to the church's first services at 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday at the Canyon View Community Center. Jenkins describes the church as having a "coffee house" style.

But members from the Church of the Divide in Garden Valley greeted churchgoers with another message outside, with signs proclaiming, "Jesus cares more about your sin and burning in hell than gas prices."

"Christ said, 'Do not make my father's house a house of merchandising,'" said Dick Otterstad, a member of the Church of the Divide. "The true gospel is repentance, but people are going into these services and coming out exactly the same. They might hear an ear-tingling sermon of what they want to hear, get some coffee and leave."

Otterstad said the trend in American churches is toward "megachurches" and "coffeehouse churches" that mimic businesses striving for "customers." But as more people join these churches, he said, community standards are still going down.

The New Life Church would be better to focus on moral issues such as abortion and gay marriage, Otterstad said, but many churches don't because they fear a drop in membership.

"It's a gimmick," he said. "Do you think God cares about cheap gas when we're seeing the murder of the unborn?"

New Life church members invited the protesters to hear the sermon Sunday. Otterstad's son, Luke Otterstad, 20, said he would listen to sermon but suspects the church is misleading people.

"I don't want to see (churchgoers) deceived in that way," he said. "The gospel is the only way to come to Christ and they're luring people in with a cheap marketing trick."

Many people attending services at New Life didn't understand the protest.

"(New Life) is doing something good and people are protesting it?" said Karen Ivan. "Jesus said his true disciples would be persecuted."

Denise Cardona of Auburn said it was exciting to have a new church in the community. She disagreed with protesters.

"That's just silly," she said. "There are many things to protest in the world, and this is not one of them."

Other members said a Christian church protesting another Christian church was divisive.

"It's confusing. Hopefully, we all worship the same God," said Keith Hentschel, a member of New Life. "I don't think anyone's going to turn around (and not come in here) because of that."

Pastor pleads guilty to sex charges

2005-11-15T08:34:00.000-05:00

WILMINGTON, Delaware -- A 59-year-old pastor pleaded guilty in Superior Court today to groping two male church members, one a teen-ager, earlier this year.

Talbert L. Gwynn, pastor of Wilmington Church of Christ, faces up to two years in prison when he is sentenced in January on two counts of third-degree unlawful sexual contact.

He will also have to register as a Tier 1 sex offender.

According to police, Gwynn grabbed a 14-year-old boy’s genitals in February, when the boy was staying at Gwynn’s house.

That same month, Gwynn grabbed a 25-year-old man, who was at his house for Bible study, kissed him on the lips and then hugged him, police said. As the man pulled away, Gwynn placed his hands under the man’s shirt, then grabbed his buttocks.

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Pastor Faces Charges in Fatal Accident

2005-11-15T08:32:00.000-05:00

Faulkner County, Arkansas - A pastor from Quitman faces charges of leaving the scene of an accident that left one man dead. Reverend Kerry Von Smith was leaving a church off Highway 65 in Faulkner County a couple of weeks ago when a crash occurred.

Smith appeared in court for his arraignment Monday. Channel Seven spoke with both the prosecution and defense in this case. Church leaders are not commenting except to say the reverend is innocent until proven guilty.

Wednesday morning, November 2, police say Reverend Kerry Von Smith was leaving the Church Alive parking lot off Highway 65, but after entering the southbound lane, police report two dump trucks following the pastor slammed on their brakes. One truck reportedly swerved into the northbound lane, killing a 45-year-old man. The prosecution says Smith, who pastors the Howard General Baptist Church in Quitman knew an accident had happened but left the scene regardless.

(Stephen Hawks, Deputy Prosecutor) "That's one of the main things well have to do is to prove what he did and what he knew as he was doing it."

(Lynn Plemmons, Atty. Representing Smith) "From his point of view he was driving legally and lawfully when he was almost run over by a truck going in excess of the speed limit."

The attorney representing Smith says his position as a pastor only strengthens his case.

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Pastor Charged With Child Pornography

2005-11-15T08:28:00.000-05:00

MARXVILLE, Wis. -- Members of St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Marxville met Monday night to discuss the recent arrest of their minister.

The Dane County Sheriff's Department said the Rev. Jerald Schara was arrested Friday on a tentative charge of possession of child pornography.

Schara has been the minister at the church for 10 years.

Schara has been suspended from his pastoral duties as the legal process continues.

Pastor George Carlson, a bishop of the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, said, "Although we have no reason to believe these charges are in any way related to the church, we will cooperate fully with law enforcement authorities as they continue their investigation."

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Lutheran pastor faces sex-conduct charges

2005-11-15T08:20:00.000-05:00

Minneapolis - The young man said he was about 14 when the pastor took him on trips, showed him pornography, bought him boxer shorts, asked him to pose for photos -- and had sex with him, including once at the church parsonage on Christmas Eve.

The pastor, the Rev. James Michael Holthus, 51, of Lake Crystal, Minn., appeared in court Monday in Mankato on charges of first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

He was arrested Thursday after his home and church office were searched, and a computer was seized.

Holthus' lawyer said his client adamantly asserts his innocence and looks forward to clearing his name at trial.

The pastor's supporters packed the Blue Earth County District courtroom, defense attorney Chris Rosengren said, and Holthus' parishioners at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lake Crystal and St. John Lutheran Church in Rapidan have started a defense fund.

Dwayne Matzke, a church council member at St. John, said he has "very much confidence" in Holthus, whom he called "a wonderful pastor." Holthus' problem was that he was "too soft-hearted. He wanted to help everybody," Matzke said.

The complaint, signed by Blue Earth County Sheriff's Capt. Will Purvis, said Holthus admitted to fondling the boy but denied giving him oral sex.

The complaint said Holthus admitted there were times when he groped the boy while he was sleeping and, "for some reason, that made me feel" as if "this kid is all mine."

Rosengren, the attorney, said officers "vehemently interrogated [Holthus] for quite a long time," and he suspects some comments during those interviews were taken out of context. He said such criminal complaints often are a precursor to civil suits seeking damages from a church.

Allegations from 2001, 2002

The unnamed young man, now an adult, gave this account of his relationship with the pastor in 2001 and 2002, according to the complaint:

The young man had been active in Trinity's youth group, choir and other activities. He was about 13 when Holthus started taking a special interest in him, taking him to movies and the Minnesota State Fair, and apparently wanted to be "more of a friend than a pastor."

The boy sometimes stayed overnight at the single pastor's residence, and Holthus took him on trips to Duluth, St. Louis and Chicago. Back rubs and talk about sex led to masturbation and oral sex, the man said, the last time on Christmas Eve of 2002, according to the complaint.

Rosengren said the trips were group events that included the boy's mother, not just Holthus and the boy. The pastor had counseled the boy and denies having sexual contact with him, Rosengren said.

Holthus was released on $200,000 bail Monday.

He has been pastor at Trinity since 1992 and St. John since 1996. In addition to serving the two Missouri Synod churches, he has taught at area Lutheran schools.

The allegations are "very discouraging news," said Robert Patrick, principal of Martin Luther High School in Northrop, Minn. Holthus has been suspended as chaplain adviser and German teacher there pending the outcome of the case, he said. "All parties involved are in our prayers."

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Sex-abuse suits embroil Jesuits in Northwest

2005-11-15T07:03:00.000-05:00

Jan brings us this:

Portland, Oregon - In the long shadow of the Archdiocese of Portland bankruptcy, an Oregon-based Jesuit province faces a growing priest-abuse litigation crisis of its own.

In the last few years, as many as 100 people have filed sex-abuse lawsuits accusing more than a dozen priests and volunteers of the Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus, according to plaintiffs' attorneys.

The Northwest Jesuits are separate from the Portland Archdiocese and report to superiors outside the Vatican in Rome. The province covers five states -- Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska -- but the bulk of the alleged abuse occurred in remote Alaskan Eskimo villages that during the long winters are almost completely cut off from the rest of the world.

"There's no one to tell, no one to turn to, no one to talk to," said Elsie Boudreau, an Anchorage woman who was sexually abused by a Jesuit priest when she was a girl. Boudreau settled her case for $1 million in April.

The Rev. John D. Whitney, the Portland-based provincial superior, admitted that the Rev. James Poole had committed sexual abuse and apologized to Boudreau.

"We apologize to the victim of this misconduct, and to all who have suffered a loss of hope and trust," Whitney said in April. "We ask forgiveness as we strive to ensure that such actions do not happen again."

The Northwest Jesuits have paid about $7.5 million to settle lawsuits, far less than the $53 million spent by the Portland Archdiocese before it sought bankruptcy protection in 2004.

Bankruptcy was supposed to allow the archdiocese to get a handle on priest-abuse litigation, but 18 months later little has been resolved. More than 200 sex-abuse claims are pending. And a judge has yet to decide the most explosive issue in the case: The archdiocese's claim that church law prohibits it from selling parish churches to pay off sex-abuse claims.

The Northwest Jesuits take the same position about such prominent Jesuit organizations as Gonzaga and Seattle universities, and Portland's Jesuit High School. But no legal proceeding has forced the issue.

Although dozens of lawsuits are pending against the Jesuits and a trial is scheduled to begin in February, Whitney said he has given no serious thought to following the Portland Archdiocese into bankruptcy.

"My primary concern really is trying to find ways toward healing," he said.

Pope Pius XI called remote Alaska "the most difficult mission in the world" because of the extreme conditions, Whitney said. The challenge of working in such a tough environment has drawn Jesuits from throughout the world.

Christopher R. Cooke, an Anchorage attorney who represents priest-abuse plaintiffs, said the remoteness of the villages proved ideal for pedophile priests. Many villages lacked phone service, and roads were not passable during the long winters.

Absolute trust

And the Yupik Eskimos, isolated by geography, language and culture, were taught to trust their priests absolutely.

"Their power was virtually unfettered," Cooke said. "There wasn't a policeman down the street you could talk to if something was wrong."

Cooke said documents indicate that when the Portland-based Jesuits learned about sex-abuse allegations as far back as 1960, they moved the priest to another village or another state. Cooke said that in some cases, pedophile priests from other parts of the country were sent to Alaska.

"They knew," Cooke said. "They had plenty of notice."

Whitney disagrees.

"We never dumped people in Alaska," he said.

Whitney also said plaintiffs' lawyers are reading too much into documents that they claim show Jesuits did nothing about sex-abuse allegations.

Although the province's headquarters are in Portland, very little of the litigation directly touches Oregon.

A suit filed in Multnomah County in September accused the Rev. John Schwartz, a former teacher at Jesuit High School, of molesting a student in the 1980s. Schwartz is no longer a Jesuit and works as a priest in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Schwartz denies the charge, according to a spokesman for the San Francisco Archdiocese, but has taken a voluntary leave of absence from a church assignment.

Priest fathered two

A suit filed last month in Alaska accused the Rev. James E. Jacobson of sexually assaulting two women in Alaska during the 1960s and '70s and fathering two sons. Jacobson later was sent to Oregon and assigned to be a prison chaplain in Salem, where he worked for 25 years before retiring in August.

An article in the Catholic Sentinel said Jacobson was especially beloved by inmates on Death Row. He received the Salvation Army's national award for Chaplain of the Year and the American Catholic Correctional Chaplain Association's Maximilian Kolbe Award.

Whitney said he recently became aware of evidence that Jacobson had fathered children. Jacobson acknowledges having a relationship with two women, but denies sexually assaulting them.

The Rev. James Laudwein was working in a ministry for the poor in Portland until last month, when he was accused in a lawsuit of molesting a 14-year-old Eskimo girl in 1980. Laudwein denies the accusations against him, Whitney said.

Missionary work

The Jesuits, the largest Catholic religious order in the world with 20,000 members, were founded during the Protestant Reformation. They are known for education and missionary work.

In the Northwest province, Jesuit priests do missionary work among native peoples in Alaska, Washington, Idaho and Montana. They also teach at Jesuit colleges and schools, and staff more than half a dozen parishes, including St. Ignatius in Southeast Portland.

Whitney said the organization has paid for settlements with insurance, savings and by asking priestly communities to reduce expenses. None of the money has come or could come from Jesuit schools because they are independent organizations, he said.

That claim -- disputed by plaintiffs' attorneys -- echoes the most hotly contested issue in the Portland Archdiocese bankruptcy: ownership of the more than 100 Catholic churches in Western Oregon.

Archdiocese officials say that under church law, the parishes are separate entities. A bankruptcy judge in Spokane -- the location of one of the two other Catholic bankruptcy cases in the United States -- ruled earlier this year that the diocese owned the parish churches. Elizabeth Perris, the judge overseeing the Portland case, is expected to rule on that issue early next year.

Trial scheduled

The most immediate legal issue on the horizon for the Jesuits is a trial scheduled for February in Nome involving Poole, whom five people have accused of sexual abuse. The Jesuits and the Diocese of Fairbanks have settled two Poole cases, including the one with Boudreau. Poole lives in an assisted living facility in Spokane.

One reason that Whitney said he is not considering bankruptcy is that he is seeking to have the courts say the Jesuits are not liable for dozens of sex-abuse allegations against volunteers. That would significantly reduce the number of lawsuits.

Still, he acknowledged that the organization cannot afford to continue paying big settlements.

"If all the claims come though in million-dollar increments, we'll be in trouble," Whitney said.

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Family values, Georgia division

2005-11-14T17:37:00.000-05:00

GAINESVILLE, Georgia - District Attorney Lee Darragh said the Georgia law on child molestation, which says that a person under age 16 legally cannot consent to a sexual act, does not take into consideration whether the minor is married or not.

37-year-old Lynnette Clark will appear in court for a committal hearing on Nov. 30, said Darragh, who said he would not comment further on the case.

Clark was charged with child molestation after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy whom she married last week.

A Published report quoted several unidentified members of the boy's family as saying that Lynnette Clark is pregnant with the boy's child and that they were married Tuesday. Judy Hayles, the boy's grandmother, said she received a notice of the marriage from Dawson County because she is the boy's guardian.

Clark was arrested Wednesday and brought to the Hall County Detention Center. The Hall County sheriff's office did not immediately return phone calls Monday seeking further detail.

Hayles said the relationship had been going on for nearly two years. She said her grandson and Clark's teenage son had been close friends and that the grandson spent many weekends at Clark's home.

Now Hayles said she is working to end the marriage.

``This marriage is going to be terminated,'' she said.

Dawson County Probate Court Judge Jennifer Burt said in a statement that she reviewed the marriage application and applied the appropriate provisions under state law before issuing the license but she had no additional comment on the matter because it is being investigated.

Georgia law provides an exemption to age requirements for marriage if the couple have a child or the female can show she is pregnant. In Georgia, one must be 18 to marry without parental consent or 16 to marry with parental consent.

Gainesville, about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta, is the seat of Hall County. Dawson is an adjoining county.

[Photo: WTSP, Tampa]

Polygamous sect leader sought in West Texas

2005-11-14T07:41:00.000-05:00

Houston Chronicle - With 1,700 hilly acres and a gate accessible from a maze of back roads, the Yearn for Zion Ranch could be an ideal hide-out.

Whether the West Texas compound is being used by polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs during his five-month flight from sexual misconduct charges became a contentious issue last week when Arizona officials suggested Jeffs could be captured there in short order.

The sheriff in Schleicher County, where the ranch is located, disputes the claim, saying there is nothing to indicate that Jeffs has been to the ranch since he became a fugitive in June.

"The attorney general is uninformed," said Sheriff David Doran, referring to Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, who earlier said he had "good information" that Jeffs "comes and goes with impunity" from the Texas ranch.

The exchange appears to reflect a growing frustration by Arizona officials as they search for the elusive Jeffs, said Schleicher County Justice of the Peace James Doyle. "They've spent a bunch of money going after him and don't have much to show for it," Doyle said.

By all indications, the 49-year-old Jeffs is getting considerable help from members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which he has led as a self-described prophet since 2002.

"He is living on cash. It seems he is traveling a lot and isn't staying in one place a long time," said Andrea Esquer, Goddard's spokeswoman. "And he has people willing to give him refuge."

Jeffs was indicted in Mohave County, Ariz., on two counts of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor for marrying a 16-year-old girl to a much older married man. Federal officials later charged him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and he was placed on the FBI's "Most Wanted" list. Jeffs' wanted poster warns he "may travel with a number of loyal and armed bodyguards."

The 10,000-member FLDS, as it is called, has been based throughout most of its 70-year history in Colorado City, Ariz., and Hilldale, Utah, twin towns north of the Grand Canyon. But it also has settlements in Canada, Colorado and Nevada and has ties to polygamist colonies in Mexico, southwest of El Paso.

The group arrived in Texas in late 2003 and purchased a ranch four miles northeast of Eldorado, a town of 1,870 located about 45 miles south of San Angelo.

Since then, the estimated 80 to 150 FLDS members living there have built a soaring limestone temple surrounded by a 12-foot rock wall. There are more than a dozen sprawling log homes and meeting halls, barns and other structures as well.

Brother's arrest

Attention turned to the Texas compound following the Oct. 28 arrest of Seth Jeffs, the leader's brother, near Pueblo, Colo., where he was detained on local prostitution-related charges and a federal count of concealing a person from arrest, namely Warren Jeffs.

Police found $142,000 in cash, seven cell phones and several envelopes containing thousands of dollars of prepaid phone cards and credit cards in the sport utility vehicle in which the brother was traveling. They also found several hundred letters addressed to the prophet from church members and a jar full of coins labeled "Pennies for the Prophet." In an arrest report, a sheriff's deputy noted that Jeffs' wanted-poster photo had been photocopied and attached to the jar. An envelope inside was addressed to "Uncle Warren."

Seth Jeffs, 32, told federal officials he did not know where his brother was and that nobody in the church would help turn in their leader. "It would be stupid to tell anyone where he is because he would get caught," the younger Jeffs said, according to an affidavit.

Jeffs told authorities several different stories about where he was heading, including that he was on his way to the Texas ranch to deliver documents to an unnamed "bishop." On Monday, the brother was freed on $25,000 bond despite objections from federal prosecutors in Denver that he is a flight risk.

Esquer, in Arizona, said her office's contention that Jeffs has been in Texas is based on the brother's arrest and "anecdotal accounts that he has been able to go in and out of the Texas compound. We're not able to elaborate on that, but we are confident he has been there in the last five months."

Watching the compound

In Eldorado, the sheriff said the brother's statements were hardly conclusive evidence of where he was heading. "He was not on a direct path if he was coming to Texas. He may have been coming, I don't know," Doran said.

"We have no evidence he has been on the property since June. We've never associated any vehicle or anyone with him coming and going, and we know a lot about what's going on out there," said Doran. "We have closely monitored this place from day one, and we are very much aware of the activities there."

Jeffs was probably on the ranch last January, as work on the temple began, Doran said. A photo showed followers huddled around a figure that could have been Jeffs. They appeared to be shielding him from view as a plane circled overhead. "That was probably him," said Doran.

He said he has established contact and a working relationship with the FLDS members at the ranch "who haven't broken any laws that we are aware of."

Doran, who routinely flies over the compound, said he and his four deputies have done everything they can within the bounds of the law to locate Jeffs. He said he is in regular contact with Arizona, Utah and federal officials, including an investigator in Goddard's office.

A lot of protection

State and federal officials said there have been a number of Jeffs sightings in Arizona and Utah. Special Agent Brent Robbins, in the bureau's Salt Lake City office, said Jeffs and a group of men were spotted last month buying fishing gear at a store in Lehi, 26 miles south of Salt Lake City, and later seen at a nearby reservoir.

Sam Brower, a private investigator from Utah who is working for several lawyers who have brought civil suits against the group, said Jeffs is no ordinary fugitive.

"It's much easier when you have people who are honored to hide you or send you money or take a bullet for you," Brower said. "He isn't some bank robber driving around in a 1989 Taurus. If he needs a car, he has hundreds at his disposal."

Ben Bistline, a former church member who still resides in the Colorado City area, said, "They're taught from birth to support their leader, so whomever the prophet is they support automatically. He has people sworn to protect him with their own lives."

Bistline, who has written a history of the group, said Jeffs preaches that the world will end soon, and he and his followers will be lifted up while the rest of the world is destroyed.

"Why answer to these accusations and allegations when you can sit and wait for the end of the world?" Bistline said. "I also have heard rumors he expects to die a martyr and dying in a gunbattle would make him a martyr.

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Louisville priest pleads guilty to abusing boys

2005-11-13T09:13:00.000-05:00

Loiusville, Kentucky - The Rev. Edwin Scherzer, a Roman Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Louisville, pleaded guilty yesterday to abusing four boys between 1956 and 1966, agreeing to spend five years under house arrest.

One of the victims, Tom Weiter, said in a telephone interview last night that, as a boy, he "was taught to love Father Scherzer because he was a priest."

Scherzer was "a good priest and a family friend," Weiter said, but also "a guy who used children for his own sexual gratification."

Scherzer, 80, pleaded guilty to four felony counts of indecent or immoral practices with a child under 15, the equivalent of what would be called sexual abuse under current Kentucky law, said Steve Tedder, a spokesman for the commonwealth's attorney's office.

Sentencing in Jefferson Circuit Court will be Jan. 9 by Judge F. Kenneth Conliffe, Tedder said.

Weiter said he feels good that justice has been served after 40 years. He said he would have wanted Scherzer to be imprisoned had the priest been younger or in better health. Home incarceration takes Scherzer "out of circulation" and away from children, Weiter said.

Scherzer pleaded guilty to sexually abusing Weiter some time between 1963 and 1966. Weiter has said he attended St. Therese church and school at the time.

Three of the four victims previously filed lawsuits against the archdiocese, accusing the priest of abuse, and were part of the $25.7 million sex-abuse settlement that plaintiffs reached with the archdiocese in 2003.

"For the sake of the victims and our local Church, we are pleased that Father Edwin Scherzer is pleading guilty and accepting responsibility for his actions," an archdiocesan statement said yesterday.

"We hope that Father Scherzer's action today will provide some healing and peace for his victims. No child should have to experience abuse of any kind. We are committed to preventing abuse and reaching out to anyone who has been harmed by Church employees," the archdiocese said.

Scherzer is living in an assisted-living home in Louisville, Tedder said.

"Given his age and his health, that (house arrest) was the best option I think for everybody involved," prosecutor Jon Heck said.

Scherzer was indicted in February.

Ordained in 1950, he retired in 1995.

He was at St. Edward parish from 1956 to 1960 and at St. Therese from 1960 to 1969, according to the archdiocese.

Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly removed Scherzer from public ministry in 2002 after Catholic bishops in the United States approved a policy calling for such action against priests suspected of having sexually abused a child.

Earlier this year, the Vatican ordered him to lead a life of prayer and penance rather than removing him from the priesthood.

Under that order, Scherzer is not allowed to perform any public ministry, present himself as a priest or have unsupervised contact with minors.

Besides the Weiter allegation, Scherzer also pleaded guilty to abusing George Geraghty some time between 1964 and 1965. In civil litigation, Geraghty has said he attended St. Therese church and school at the time.

The priest also pleaded guilty to sexually abusing John Scott between July 1956 and September 1957. Scott said during civil litigation that he was abused when he attended St. Edward Church.

A fourth count involving an alleged victim who did not file a lawsuit accuses Scherzer of similar conduct in the same period of time .

Scherzer's attorney, David Lambertus, could not be reached for comment.

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Former altar boy settles lawsuit accusing Naples priest of abuse

2005-11-13T09:11:00.000-05:00

NAPLES, Fla. - A man who accused a former Roman Catholic priest of sexually abusing him as a 10-year-old altar boy has settled his lawsuit against the priest and the archbishop of Miami, his attorney said Thursday.

The man, who is identified as A.B. in court documents, accused William Romero of abuse in a Coral Gables church in 1975. The lawsuit named Romero and Archbishop John Favalora.

Romero denied knowing the man, according to depositions from 2004.

"My client made a decision to settle based upon considerations of his family, his personal life as well as to a determination as to what was being offered as a fair settlement," said Ron Weil, a Miami attorney representing the man, who is now in his 40s and living in New York state.

Weil said a confidentiality agreement barred him from revealing the terms of the settlement reached earlier this month.

Romero retired in 1995 and resigned from the clergy in 2003.

He declined comment when reached at his LaBelle home Thursday by the Naples Daily News.

"I have no comment for you people. All you do is sensationalize something that was completely fictitious. That's it. Goodbye," Romero said, before hanging up the phone.

Four other lawsuits are known to have been filed against Romero, who served at the St. Ann parish in Naples during the mid-1970s and the Archdiocese of Miami. Three sexual misconduct cases against him were settled last winter for $1.5 million. Another former altar boy collected a $135,000 settlement in May 2004.

"With this settlement, we hope to bring some healing to all those involved," Archdiocese of Miami spokeswoman Mary Ross Agosta said in a statement.

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Providence diocese bars accused priest from celebrating Mass

2005-11-13T09:07:00.000-05:00

PROVIDENCE, R.I. --The Diocese of Providence has ordered a priest accused of sexually abusing his two young cousins to stop celebrating Mass.

Louis Diogo had been celebrating Mass at St. Francis Xavier Church in East Providence for several years, but the diocese was not aware of it, Monsignor Paul Theroux said.

Diogo retired and moved out of state in 1993, after his cousin Ana Farias told the diocese that he had abused her and her sister in the 1950s and 1960s.

The statute of limitations had run out by the time Farias came forward, and Diogo was never charged criminally. He has denied the accusation, but Theroux said the diocese found Farias credible.

Farias contacted the diocese recently after learning from another cousin that Diogo, now 85, had returned to Rhode Island and was celebrating Mass again. Farias, 58, said she was abused from age 5 through her teens.

"I can't be around a priest," she told NBC affiliate WJAR. "I haven't gone to church for years. I've lost my faith. Sometimes, I think he got my innocence so badly that he got my soul."

Theroux said the diocese has told Diogo that he cannot celebrate Mass or function publicly as a priest.

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Priest's extradition sought in sex cases

2005-11-13T09:02:00.000-05:00

The lawyer for a fugitive U.S. priest wanted in Arizona on charges of sexually molesting boys urged an Italian court on Friday not to send his client home because he risked being killed in prison.

The Rev. Joseph Henn, 56, wanted since 2003, has been living under house arrest at the headquarters of his religious order in Rome.

Henn, who has denied the charges, was not present at the hearing. U.S. authorities want him extradited to face charges of molesting three boys when he worked in a parish in the Phoenix diocese in the 1980s.

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Lake Crystal pastor jailed on sexual assault allegations

2005-11-13T08:46:00.000-05:00

MANKATO, Minn. - Authorities were holding a Lake Crystal area pastor pending sexual assault charges, Blue Earth County authorities said.

The pastor, who serves two churches, was arrested Thursday and was expected to appear in court Monday.

Capt. Will Purvis of the Blue Earth County sheriff's department said Friday that the investigation began a week earlier when the victim, a "young adult," made a report. The victim described several incidents, not all of which took place in the county, he added.

The pending charges include first-degree criminal sexual conduct and third-degree criminal sexual conduct, Purvis said.

Purvis would not say if the alleged victim is a man or a woman because he was concerned about revealing the victim's identity.

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Legislator Urged To Not Sentence Sex Offender To Prison

2005-11-13T08:37:00.000-05:00

TULSA, Okla. -- A state legislator wrote to a Tulsa County judge on behalf of a man who was convicted of sexually abusing two girls, recommending no more than a suspended sentence, records show.

Rep. Jerry McPeak, D-Warner, said in the letter that incarcerating Michael Pat Thompson, who was sentenced last month to four life prison terms, "would be a malfeasance of justice." "It would be a cost to taxpayers and would accomplish nothing," he wrote.

The letter -- dated Oct. 18 and bearing an emblem of the state seal and a "House of Representatives" heading -- was submitted to Associate District Judge Caroline Wall, who received many letters that were filed as court documents in Thompson's case.

Jurors on Oct. 12 found Thompson, 58, guilty of four counts of sexually abusing two girls who are the daughters of a woman Thompson had dated.

The jury sentenced Thompson, a former Broken Arrow resident, to a life prison sentence and a $5,000 fine on each count.

At an Oct. 26 formal sentencing, Wall denied a motion for a new trial and denied defense requests for concurrent or suspended sentences. She ordered that the four life prison sentences run consecutively.

The girls are now ages 16 and 17. Thompson was charged with committing offenses in 1999 and 2000 involving one girl and in 2003 involving her sister.

He did not testify at his trial and has adamantly maintained that he is innocent of the sex-abuse charges, defense attorney Stan Monroe said. Thompson is appealing the trial result.

McPeak's letter states that he and Thompson "were teenagers together" and that he has observed Thompson "in both family and social situations. At no time was his behavior questionable when he came in contact with young people, adolescents, or teenagers."

McPeak, who indicated that he taught psychology in college for 15 years, wrote that "if you must assign him time, please consider a suspension. This is much more logical, and your decision will prove to be a wise one."

Efforts to reach McPeak by phone for possible comment were unsuccessful.

After the trial, Assistant District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said he thinks the outcome reflects an expression from 12 citizens concerning "child molesters, who are a scourge on society."

In a separate case, a Tulsa federal judge in 2004 sentenced Thompson to two years and three months in prison for fraud and ordered him to pay the Bank of Oklahoma $730,138 in restitution. He had pleaded guilty to an allegation that he received more than $1 million in loans by making false statements to the bank.

Cop accused of taking cash, not writing tickets

2005-11-13T08:26:00.000-05:00

COLUMBIA, S.C. - A state trooper was arrested Friday after authorities accused him of taking thousands of dollars from Hispanic motorists instead of issuing traffic tickets.

Lance Cpl. Stephen A. Watts, 28, of Pelion was charged with misconduct after he collected $40 from a driver instead of writing a ticket during a traffic stop Oct. 30 in Lexington County near Columbia, according to an arrest warrant.

More charges were expected, authorities said.

Lexington County Sheriff James Metts said investigators were tipped off after a farmer asked if it was appropriate for police to stop migrant workers and take money without issuing a ticket.

Witnesses and victims spoke little to no English, the sheriff said.

"I think most of them were pulled over because they were Hispanic," Metts said. "This person wasn't interested in making legitimate stops in my opinion. He was interested in extracting money from these people."

Telephone directories did not list a number for Watts, who was suspended without pay.

Man Jumped From Truck Following Argument

2005-11-13T08:24:00.000-05:00

Via the General:

(KSL News)South Jordan, Utah - Police now say an argument caused a 21-year-old man to jump from a moving truck in South Jordan.

Tyler Poulson was riding with his brothers last night when he became offended by one of them using profanity. Poulson, who recently returned from an LDS mission, threatened to get out of the truck if he continued.

One of the men, not thinking he would, told Poulson to.

Earlier police said the car was going about 35 miles an hour when Poulson opened the door and jumped. He was pronounced dead on scene.

Another guard at King County Jail could face sexual misconduct charges

2005-11-12T11:15:00.000-05:00

Seattle, Wash. - A fourth King County Jail guard is suspected of sexual misconduct and may face criminal charges. King County prosecutors expect to decide whether charges are warranted in the coming weeks, prosecutor's spokesman Dan Donohoe said.

Three other officers assigned to the King County Jail were arrested earlier this year for possible sexual misconduct or indecent liberties charges for allegations made by female inmates, though prosecutors are still reviewing those cases.

A guard assigned to the Regional Justice Center in Kent faces trial next month in Kent Municipal Court on second-degree sexual misconduct charges.

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Pastor accused of bizarre rapes arrested

2005-11-12T08:31:00.000-05:00

FORT WORTH, Texas - FORT WORTH -- A Fort Worth pastor and self-proclaimed prophet was arrested Friday, accused of raping a church member during a bizarre cleansing ceremony to cast out demons that he said she had in her body.

Leonard Ray Owens, 63, was arrested on a sexual assault warrant Friday afternoon after going to the police station to voluntarily provide a statement to investigators.

"Preachers are just like firemen and policemen -- they’re in a position of trust," said Sgt. Paul Ware, supervisor of the sex crimes unit. "People come forward to them a whole lot more than the average citizen. He’s violated that trust for not only that victim, but also his church."

Owens had denied any sexual contact with the woman, police said. He was in the process of being booked into jail Friday evening with bail set at $25,000. He could not be reached for comment.

Detective R.M.Welch began investigating Owens on Oct. 30 after the victim, a 22-year-old woman, reported that the man had raped her on two different occasions at his Fort Worth home.

The victim told police that she had begun attending the Prayer House of Faith at 1303 East Seminary Drive in March. In July, she went to the pastor’s home for counseling about some personal matters.

"He said she had a sex demon and a lesbian demon inside of her that needed to come out," Welch said.

According to the affidavit, the pastor asked the victim to lie on the floor so he could cast the spirits out. He then began speaking to the woman as if she were a demon, shouting "lose her in the name of Jesus."

The woman told police the suspect began pulling down her pants as he called for the demons to come out. When the woman tried to rise up, the suspect pushed her down, ignoring her pleas for him to stop, the affidavit stated.

The pastor, who is considerable larger than the woman, then began to fight with her as if she were a demon before climbing on top of her, pinning her down and raping her, Welch said.

The woman told police that the pastor wore a condom during the assault. After he was finished, he ordered her to go and wash her face in the name of Jesus and to read Psalms 105:15, a Bible passage that refers to doing prophets no harm, she told police.

Welch said the pastor also told the victim that 16 people were now in the graveyard for "messing" with him, a statement that she took as a threat.

The victim told police that the pastor raped her again about a month later after asking her to come to his house to pray for another woman.

When she arrived at his home to find no other woman there, the pastor told her that the other woman was on her way. He then told her that he would like to be a father figure to her since he knew she did not have a father and asked her for a hug, the affidavit stated.

She told police that when she complied, the man grabbed her around the rib area, threw her on the couch, began ripping off her clothes off and raped her again despite her screams for him to stop.

"Daddy isn’t going to bother you," he allegedly told her during the assault, according to the affidavit.

Welch said that after the sexual assault, the pastor gave the woman two wallet-size photographs of his daughters and told her that they were her sisters.

The victim told police that Owens appeared at her home on Oct. 24 and attempted to have sex with her again but stopped after she asked him why he was continuing to do that to her.

She said the pastor then told her that three people would die because she had told people what he had done to her. He also reiterated the passage in Psalms, referred to the victim as a witch and told her that the Bible states to kill witches, the affidavit stated.

"The victim states that since this occurred, the suspect wants to know her every move and has told her that no one will believe anything she says about him as he is a minister," the affidavit states.

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Minister could face 10-year sentence in molestation case

2005-11-12T08:22:00.000-05:00

St. Louis - A Baptist minister faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced next month for fondling a 13-year-old girl last year at a house in north St. Louis County.

A jury in St. Louis County Circuit Court recommended earlier this month that Judge Richard C. Bresnahan sentence the Rev. Curtis Thomas to five years in prison on each of two counts of child molestation.

Bresnahan set sentencing for Dec. 19. The judge can run the sentences consecutively or concurrently.

On Nov. 3, the jury found Thomas guilty of fondling the victim last year when the girl was 13 but acquitted Thomas of statutory rape. On that charge, the victim alleged Thomas had sexually assaulted her in 1997 or 1998.

Thomas, 51, of north St. Louis County, has been a minister for 22 years and served at the Original West End Mount Carmel Baptist Church in St. Louis. He also is a retired factory worker.

The victim, her grandmother and a doctor at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital testified against Thomas, who took the stand in his defense and denied any impropriety.

In the punishment phase, prosecutor Kimberly Wells put the victim's mother, grandmother and great-grandmother on the stand. They talked about the changes in the teen since the allegations surfaced a year ago.

Her grandmother said the girl used to be outgoing. Now she stays in her room and seldom calls her friends. Once active in choir and Bible studies, the girl no longer wants to go to church, the grandmother testified.

The great-grandmother said: "In our church, people took sides. It has been a hurting thing," and the family has left the church.

Defense attorney Mike Avioli said he was surprised by the verdict because it meant the jury had believed the teen about one crime but rejected her testimony about the other.

Avioli called Thomas' wife and daughter during the punishment phase, along with another minister. They testified that Thomas was a loving husband and father to his three children, and a good, caring man.

"He had a calling from God," his wife told the jury. "He believed in helping people, with a kind heart."

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Fugitive priest fights extradition on sex charges

2005-11-12T08:16:00.000-05:00

ROME - The lawyer for a fugitive American priest wanted in the United States on charges of sexually molesting boys urged an Italian court on Friday not to send his client home because he risked being killed in prison.

The Rev. Joseph Henn, 56, wanted by authorities in Arizona since 2003, has been living under house arrest at the headquarters of his religious order in Rome.

"If he is extradited to America he risks his life because prisoners in Arizona do not like priests accused of pedophilia," attorney Michele Gentiloni Silverij told reporters at an extradition hearing.

Henn, who has dismissed the charges against him, was not present at the hearing.

U.S. authorities want him extradited to face charges of molesting three boys when he worked in a parish in Phoenix diocese in the 1980s.

The Roman Catholic Church in the United States has been rocked by a priestly sexual abuse scandal that began in Boston in 2002, when it emerged that priests who had abused children and teenagers were transferred from parish to parish instead of being defrocked.

As the scandal swept across the United States the finances of many American dioceses have been hit by multimillion-dollar lawsuits by those claiming to have been molested by priests when they were children or teenagers. The next hearing in Henn's case was scheduled for Jan 26 so the court can receive more documents from the United States.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Baptist preacher pleads to misdemeanor stalking

2005-11-11T08:26:00.000-05:00

Baton Rouge, LA - A Baptist pastor accepted a deal allowing him to plead guilty to a misdemeanor stalking charge instead of facing trial on felony counts alleging he had sex with an underage girl.

Danny "Warren" Johnson, 37, of Baton Rouge accepted the "best interest" deal Wednesday morning. State District Judge Todd Hernandez sentenced Johnson to two years of supervised probation.

A best-interest plea is the same as a guilty plea, but it means a defendant does not agree with the prosecution's version of events.

The judge also ordered that Johnson have no contact with the girl or her family, get psychiatric treatment and pay up to $100 a week to help cover the girl's counseling.

Prosecutor Mark Dumaine said the plea deal will eliminate the need for the girl, now 22, to testify at a trial where she likely would have been subjected to a vigorous cross-examination.

"We made the decision after consultation with the victim and weighing her decision about facing the ugliness of trial," Dumaine.

Defense attorney Hillar Moore said after court that this was a "highly contested case from the very beginning" and he was prepared to put forth a "substantial defense" had the case gone to trial.

"(Johnson) has denied any kind of criminal activity with the girl from the very beginning," Moore said.

At the time of his arrest in 2002, Johnson was serving as a pastor with Gospel Light Baptist Church. Moore said Johnson is no longer associated with that church.

Accepting the misdemeanor plea was the best way for Johnson and his family to "get this over with," Moore said.

Authorities maintain that Johnson, 37, had sex with the girl on several occasions during the late 1990s while she was living at his home.

The alleged sexual encounters occurred in 1997, 1998 and 1999, when the girl was 14, 15 and 16 years old, a police affidavit says.

The girl's grandmother, Mary Ann Smith, said she is proud of her granddaughter for having the courage to bring forth the allegations instead of keeping them hidden.

Others facing similar problems should "yell, scream from the rooftops" to make sure they are heard, Smith said.

"This epidemic has got to stop," she said.

Smith also said she was not disappointed that a plea deal was done in this case.

"The main part is the 'guilty' word," she said.

"The second most important part (of the deal) is the psychiatric treatment. We need to let the psychiatrist sort this out."

An East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury last year indicted Johnson on one count each of molestation of a juvenile, sexual battery and aggravated crime against nature.

Molestation of a juvenile carries a sentence of five to 15 years, aggravated crime against nature has a penalty of three to 15 years and sexual battery has a sentence of up to 10 years.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Baltimore Priest Pleads Guilty To Sex Abuse

2005-11-11T08:05:00.000-05:00

The following four stories come via YH, who as usual steps up to the plate just when I'm most in need of help...

(WJZ) TOWSON, Md. - A former Catholic priest pleaded guilty Tuesday to sexually abusing a Baltimore County high school student in 1987.

Jerome Toohey Junior faces up to 15 years in prison for abusing Thomas Roberts, who is now a prominent CNN anchor, when Toohey was a priest and chaplain at Calvert Hall College High School in Towson.

Roberts tells Eyewitness News' Dennis Edwards "I think it will be a real injustice, a further injustice, to allow what he did to me to continue to take stuff away."

Father Toohey admits to sexually abusing Roberts from the age of 14 through his graduation. He was removed from the ministry in 1993 after a second victim surfaced from John Carroll High School.

Toohey is scheduled to be sentenced in February. In a statement to Eyewitness News the Archdiocese says the Vatican will decide whether he will be defrocked.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Minister pleads guiltyto sexually abusing girl

2005-11-11T07:59:00.000-05:00

What's with this "reconcile with the victim"? That's either criminal stalking, or denial in a big way, or both...

Nashville, Tenn. - A former Presbyterian minister has pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old.

The former minister, Thomas Frazier, 67, of Berea, is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 12.

Frazier pleaded guilty Friday to inappropriately touching a girl on two occasions between October and December last year while she visited him in Berea.

Several of Frazier's family members and friends were at the hearing.

"The Fraziers are trying to do what is best in a difficult situation," said the Rev. Kent Gilbert of Berea's Union Church, where Frazier is a member.

Gilbert said Frazier has been in counseling since before being indicted on June 2 and has been trying to reconcile with the victim, who lives in Indiana.

"I'm impressed with his concern and commitment to doing what is right for the victim," Gilbert said.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Retired priest pleads guilty to sex abuse

2005-11-11T07:55:00.000-05:00

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - An 80-year-old retired Roman Catholic priest pleaded guilty today to charges of sexually abusing four boys several decades ago.

The Rev. Edwin Scherzer entered the pleas to four felony charges in Jefferson County Circuit Court and is to be sentenced January Ninth.

Prosecutors say they would recommend that Scherzer serve five years of home incarceration on each count, with the sentences to run at the same time.

Scherzer was accused of sexually abusing four boys in the 1950s and 1960s. One of the accusers says Scherzer choked and sexually abused him after instructing him to take off his clothes.

Scherzer was ordained in 1950 and retired in 1995. He was at St. Edward parish from 1956 to 1960 and at St. Therese from 1960 to 1969, according to the archdiocese.

Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly removed Scherzer from public ministry in 2002.

This year, the Vatican directed Scherzer to lead a life of prayer and penance.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Church Youth Director Sentenced In Sex Case

2005-11-11T07:51:00.000-05:00

Kernersville, N.C. - A man accused of taking indecent liberties with two teenage girls made a guilty plea in court Thursday.

Timothy Paul Rowell, 23, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. Rowell was a youth director at Main Street Baptist Church in Kernersville for a year and a half.

He pleaded guilty to one count each of indecent liberties and statutory sexual offense. He was charged in August.

Rowell has served three months in jail. In court Thursday, he apologized to the victims and their families and said he is undergoing counseling.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Weekly church-related crim update, October 31 - November 6

2005-11-10T11:29:00.000-05:00

Robert A. Nelson, organist at Immanuel St. James Episcopal Church in Derby, Conn., pleaded guilty to having sex with a 10-year-old girl, one of three girls he admitted to sexually assaulting, reported the Connecticut Post:

According to court documents released in December, the girl was 10 years old when she first met Nelson, then an organist at Immanuel St. James Episcopal Church in Derby. Nelson would take her and other young girls to his Naugatuck apartment, where he would ply them with wine coolers and pay them to watch pornographic movies, pose naked for pictures, and photograph him masturbating, the records stated. One of the girls described having sexual intercourse with Nelson about 20 times.

Roy Burton, pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Fairborn, Ohio, was charged with importuning and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, after he allegedly used an internet chat room to make arrangements to meet someone he thought was a 15-year-old girl, but who in reality was an undercover police officer.

John Edward Johnson, listed as a "Reverend" in court papers, was charged with felony embezzlement and obtaining money by false pretenses in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Johnson is accused of stealing a $14,090 lottery prize from a homeless dementia patient.

Johnny Lewis Jr., minister at Whitesville [Georgia] Full Gospel Baptist Church, was charged with first degree forgery, for allegedly passing a forged check in the name of the church. It was the second time Lewis had been charged with forgery over the past year.

Victor Icenogle, pastor of Promise Land Church in San Antonio, Texas who was known to parishoners as "Apostle Alex," was found guilty on three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, a 10-year-old girl.

Randy Radic, pastor of First Congregational Church in Ripon, California, was arrested on embezzlement and forgery charges related to what police say was a scheme to sell the church without permission of the church's board of directors, through forged documents. Radic is accused of diverting $400,000 of the sale into his personal banking accounts. Police recovered more than $350,000 in cash as well as a 2006 BMW valued at more than $100,000.

Jim Whittington, a minister who was the "on-air presence" for Fountain of Life Ministries, a North Carolina church, was ordered to pay $848,532 to the estate of Valeria Lust, a wheelchair-bound woman from whom Whittington had been convicted of stealing the money.

Bruce MacArthur, a priest who had repeatedly raped a Wisconsin girl over a seven-year period, told investigators that he had raped so many girls he couldn't remember them all. MacArthur, according to transcripts of the interviews with investigators published by KLTM News, went on to say that church officials were aware of the rapes but instead of notifying authorities transferred him to six different churches in a ten year period. He continued to rape girls throughout the period, he said.

Scott E. Nash, youth minister at Trinity Episcopal Church in Tilton, New Hampshire, had reached a plea bargain with prosecutors, in which he would plead guilty to second-degree assault in response to charges that he digitally penetrated a 4-year-old girl. The deal would have meant that Nash would not have to register as a sex offender. The judge in the case, however, rejected the deal, and Nash is to face trial.

Danny O. Hill, a Baptist minister in Gibson City, Illinois, was sentenced to four years in prison, the minimum sentence, for sexually assaulting a teenage girl numerous times over a six-year period. "[The victim] said one of the assaults occurred when she was sedated while recovering from injuries suffered in a traffic wreck," reported the Pantagraph. Hill might have faced a 15-year prison term, but prosecutors asked for the minimum sentence " because of Hill's lack of a criminal record, his work as a Baptist minister and his work in other fields."

Dustin Beck, a youth pastor and high school teacher in Marcola, Oregon, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two female students.

James Poole, a retired priest who has already been accused of raping or sexually assaulting three girls in rural Alaska, was accused of exposing himself to and sexually abusing a fourth girl, then seven years old.

See the entire never-ending chronicle of church-related crime (dating back to June 5) here.

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Jail guard faces drug charges

2005-11-10T08:57:00.000-05:00

TIPTON, Ind. -- A Tipton County jailer is accused of providing OxyContin to an inmate who later was found dead, according to court documents.

The jailer, Thomas D. Owens Jr., 24, was being held Monday on $100,000 bond in the Howard County Jail in Kokomo on charges of trafficking contraband, including two felony counts of trafficking controlled substances. An initial hearing was scheduled for Wednesday.

Owens was arrested last week following the death of inmate Joshua Lee Maine. Indiana State Police investigating Maine's death said they found evidence that the jailer had been trafficking with inmates, though it was not clear whether the alleged contraband might be linked with Maine's death.

According to a probable-cause affidavit filed by prosecutors Monday in Tipton Circuit Court, Maine's girlfriend told investigators that she had given Xanax and OxyContin to Owens and asked him to deliver the drugs to Maine, who was being held on charges of public intoxication and trespassing.

Owens admitted to delivering drugs and other items to inmates in return for money, the document alleges.

Maine, 21, Sharpsville, was pronounced dead in a hospital Nov. 2 after jail staff found him unconscious in his cell and were unable to revive him.

See our complete collection of bad behavior at the hands of prison and jail guards: Where did they learn that?

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Guard smuggled drug into prison

2005-11-10T08:55:00.000-05:00

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - It took a jury just 20 minutes to find a former Lancaster County Prison guard guilty of smuggling heroin into the prison in an attempt to deliver it to inmates.

Willie Freddy Franklin, 39, of 23 Lincoln West Drive, Mountville, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 2 years in prison after being found guilty Wednesday of smuggling 12 packets of heroin -- plus cigarettes and lighters -- into the detention center.

Franklin was a prison guard for three months before his arrest in September 2002.

Judge Michael J. Perezous, who presided over the trial, ordered a presentence investigation into Franklin's background and scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11.

"The officers did a fine job investigating this case, and I think it showed with how quickly the jurors came to their decision," Lancaster County Assistant District Attorney Alina Andreoli said.

According to an affidavit filed by Lancaster city police Detective Jeffery Bell, Franklin was searched at the prison on Sept. 20, 2002, after an inmate told prison officials Franklin had been bringing heroin and cigarettes into the prison to sell to inmates.

"The inmate said the defendant delivered drugs 'two weeks in a row on Wednesday evenings,'"ˆ" according to court documents. "The inmate said the defendant was not assigned to his block but was there, nevertheless, supplying several inmates with drugs."

Under prison policy, employees and their possessions can be searched at the prison for suspected contraband. Franklin was called to the prison office and his possessions were searched, according to Bell's affidavit.

Upon checking Franklin's wallet, prison officials discovered "a white envelope that contained one bundle of suspected contraband," Bell wrote in his report. "The bundle was secured with three rubber bands and marked with the word 'Eagle,' and there was also an eagle stamped on the blue glassine packet, which is consistent with the way heroin is packaged for sale."

Police were called to the prison, and they placed Franklin under arrest.

While being questioned by police at the city station, Franklin admitted he brought drugs into the prison, Bell says in the affidavit.

Defense attorney Christopher Lyden said his client maintains his innocence. Franklin contends someone gave him court papers that, unbeknownst to him, included an envelope that contained the heroin.

"Mr. Franklin has no prior record," Lyden said Friday. "His military service was in the Marines."

Because the prison is a tobacco-free facility, the cigarettes and lighters are considered contraband, Warden Vincent Guarini said at the time of Franklin's arrest.

After his arrest, Franklin was arraigned on $40,000 straight bail, according to police records, and placed under protective custody at Lancaster County Prison. Friday, prison officials said Franklin was in the general population.

See our complete collection of bad behavior at the hands of prison and jail guards: Where did they learn that?

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Prison guard dismissed after inmate's shocking

2005-11-10T08:53:00.000-05:00

Mifflin County, Pennsylvania - A Mifflin County Prison guard has been fired and is being investigated by state police for allegedly shocking a prisoner while the inmate was tied to a chair.

Neither prison officials, state police, nor Mifflin County commissioners would release the name of the former prison guard.

On Sept. 11, guards were trying to forcibly remove the inmate, Dustin Zimmerman, 19, of Lewistown, and his cell mate from their cell, said prison Warden Bernie Zook. The two were kicking at their cell door and the guards did not want them to damage the electric door locks.

"Once the inmate had been removed from the cell he was placed in a restraint chair," state police said in a statement Saturday. "At this point the inmate was allegedly shocked with an electronic body immobilizing device without apparent provocation."

Zimmerman was not injured, Zook said.

Known as an EBIT, the device has two probes that are placed against the victim's skin, and then the electric shock is administered.

"It covers a real small area," Zook said. "It's nothing near as severe as a TASER."

The TASER, which is also used by law enforcement, fires probes attached to wires, then sends an electric shock over the wires to the victim.

Zook said his staff heard about the incident the next day and suspended the guard without pay pending an investigation and disciplinary hearing.

After a hearing, county officials fired the guard Sept. 23.

"We train officers annually on the use of force," Zook said. "They know this is excessive force and unauthorized use of force."

Zook said the guard should have been familiar with use of force rules because he worked as a Juniata County Prison guard before coming to Mifflin County three years ago.

Mifflin County Commissioner Susan McCartney said she would not release the guard's name because of pending legal issues.

"If the state police aren't going to give it out, I'd rather not," McCartney said.

Zook said Zimmerman remains in the county prison in a restricted housing unit.

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Prison guard pleads guilty

2005-11-10T08:51:00.000-05:00

DADE CITY, Florida - It started out as just another plea deal. The defendant came forward and stood by his lawyer. The attorney explained the bargain struck with the state, and the facts of the case, to the judge.

Michael William Eberline was about to plead guilty to introducing contraband, marijuana, to the Zephyrhills Correctional Institution.

It stopped being routine when Circuit Judge Lynn Tepper learned two important facts:

Eberline was a state corrections officer reporting for duty at the prison when he was arrested.

And the last time he smoked marijuana was two weeks before Wednesday's sentencing.

"So while he's out on release he's still smoking marijuana?" Tepper said. "Unbelievable."

What the 24-year-old married father of two hoped would be a career ended with that July 24 arrest. He resigned on the spot after five years in uniform. Four months later he was about to plead guilty and accept 18 months of probation and random urine screenings.

Only Eberline got more than that when he showed up in court Wednesday - he got a piece of the judge's mind, too.

"It was not for the purpose of introducing it to the prisoners," defense lawyer Brian Gonzalez said.

"So he just went to work high?" Tepper asked.

"No, judge," Gonzalez said.

The judge withheld adjudication, sparing Eberline from being classified a felon, but berated him for failing to obey laws he was sworn to uphold.

"I'm sure you wouldn't want me to come work after smoking marijuana," she said.

State prisons are often subject to contraband interdiction operations, where the facility and every prisoner, employee and visitor is searched.

ZCI was undergoing such a sweep that day. When Eberline showed up for his shift at 3:45 p.m., according to a Florida Department of Corrections report, the searchers found a partially smoked marijuana cigarette inside a pack of regular cigarettes.

Inside his 1999 Chevy Blazer, they found another marijuana cigarette and 15 partially smoked ones. Eberline admitted the 4 total grams of the drug found were his, the report said. He spent two days in the county jail before his release.

DOC spokesman Robby Cunningham said he could not comment on Eberline because he is no longer employed by the state.

It was an accident, a "stupid, absolute lack of judgment," Gonzalez said.

"Mr. Eberline has been extensively remorseful for his actions," the lawyer added. "That job was one of the most important things in his life."

Said the judge: "He'll never have that again."

"No, judge," Gonzalez said.

The judge reminded Eberline how much he lost.

"Although you have paid a heavy price," Tepper said, "you fell a year short of vesting in the state pension system. That's very costly."

Silently, Eberline nodded.

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Minister pleads guilty to molesting 8-year-old girl

2005-11-10T08:44:00.000-05:00

Mesa, Arizona - An assistant minister at a Mesa church pleaded guilty to molesting a young girl 13 years ago, when he was a teenager.

Dennis "Tony" Montoya entered the plea to two counts of sexual conduct with a minor on Wednesday. Three other charges were dismissed.

The victim, who was eight years old when she was molested, was in the Mesa courtroom, which was packed with Montoya's supporters. advertisement

Montoya - who was 15 at the time of the molestation - faces up to 7½ years in prison when he's sentenced Dec. 16.

Montoya was an assistant minister at Mesa's Word of Grace Church. He was arrested in June after the victim came forward.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Couple guilty of fraud, forced labor

2005-11-08T12:51:00.000-05:00

Background info here.

WICHITA, Kansas (AP) -- The married owners of a group home for the mentally ill were convicted Monday of enslaving its residents, forcing them to work naked and perform videotaped sex acts.

Jurors found that Arlan Kaufman, 69, also illegally billed residents' families and the federal government for therapy.

The Kaufmans were convicted of 30 federal charges, including health care fraud, Medicare fraud, forced labor and holding clients in involuntary servitude at the Kaufman House Residential Treatment Center.

Arlan Kaufman also was found guilty of making a false representation.

The convictions could put the two in prison for the rest of their lives.

The couple showed little emotion but briefly hugged and kissed before being led from the courtroom to jail. The jury is to return Tuesday to hear arguments on the prosecution's request the couple forfeit $289,727.

Federal prosecutors contended the Kaufmans controlled the lives of the mentally ill residents, including forcing them to work on their farm and deciding who could wear clothes.

The couple was accused of forcing residents to masturbate, fondle each other and shave each other's genitals -- activities Arlan Kaufman videotaped.

The Kaufmans claimed that nude therapy sessions and other treatment methods had therapeutic value for schizophrenic patients, and that having residents act out problem behavior helped them avoid repeating it. Arlan Kaufman insisted at trial that the residents' behavior was voluntary.

Prosecutors called it abuse and said it spanned more than 20 years while the couple billed Medicare more than $216,000. The Kaufmans incorporated their unlicensed treatment center in 1980 and ran it until their arrests in October 2004.

Justice Department lawyer Kristy Parker told jurors the residents were turned into "uncompensated actors in a never-ending pornographic movie."

The defense had portrayed them as respected professionals who had raised three children of their own.

"It was therapy. No one was harmed. They were helped," Arlan Kaufman's attorney, Tom Haney, told jurors.

Linda Kaufman's attorney, Steve Joseph, argued prosecutors had no solid evidence against her. He noted that in one videotaped session, she was reading a newspaper and didn't even look at the nude resident.

Weekly church-related crime update, October 24 - 30

2005-11-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Our first three items consist of fall-out from the Philadelphia grand jury report:

Vincent M. Walsh, who the Philadelphia grand jury report accused of covering up sexual abuse by priests in his position as Cardinal John Krol's assistant chancellor, resigned as pastor of Presentation Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. According to the grand jury report, "Walsh 'sat silently' while parents praised a priest for befriending their sons without alerting them to the priest's known sadomasochistic behavior, and later heard complaints about the priest and failed to alert the parish pastor," reported the Associated Press.

Samuel E. Shoemaker, another priest named in the grand jury report, was confronted by 400 parishoners at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church in Yardley, Pennsylvania. Shoemaker served as chancellor under former Cardinals Anthony Bevilacqua and John Krol, and was responsible for keeping 63 known abusers in the ministry, according to the grand jury report. One parishoner held a sign reading "Justice = Prison," reported the Morning Call. "You must go," a man told Shoemaker, with applause lasting 30 seconds following his remarks. "If you can't stand up against these actions as a leader, then I can't have you as our leader," said a woman.

James M. Iannarella, one of 63 priests named in the grand jury report, nonetheless continued to work as assistant vice president in Drexel University's Office of Government and Community Relations until the Philadelphia Daily News disclosed his employment status:

Iannarella allegedly molested a 17-year-old female parishioner in 1999 at St. Joseph Church in Aston, Delaware County, where he was parochial vicar, according to the report... In his Drexel post, Iannarella served as liaison to the Miss Philadelphia Organization's beauty pageant last year, where he mingled with dozens of teenage stunners.

Elsewhere:

The trial of William Crotts and Thomas Grabinski, who are accused of taking more than $550 million from more than 11,000 investors in the Baptist Foundation of Arizona, will likely continue for five more months and cost millions of dollars as prosecutors and defendants battle with competing tax experts, accountants and outside attorneys, reported the Arizona Republic:

William Crotts and Thomas Grabinski each face three counts of fraud, 27 counts of theft and two counts of illegally conducting an enterprise in the wake of the foundation's 1999 bankruptcy... Five other BFA employees or associates already have pleaded guilty to related felony charges in exchange for their testimony against Crotts and Grabinski. A sixth is too ill to go to trial.

John Powell, a priest and retired Loyola University professor, was the subject of two lawsuits settled by the Society of Jesus in Chicago. The suits alleged that Powell had sexually abused seven women in the 1960s and early 1970s. A third suit was also settled. That suit alleged that Wilton Skeffington, a priest and teacher at Loyola Academy who has since died, had sexually abused a male student at the school. Terms of the settlements were not published.

Jason R. Dolan, pastor at SS. Peter & Paul Byzantine Catholic Church in Portage and St. Michael Byzantine Catholic Church in South Fork, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.

Clarence Heis, pastor of St. Michael Parish in Mechanicsburg, Ohio and Immaculate Conception in North Lewisburg, Ohio, was placed on on indefinite administrative leave by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati after he was arrested for public indecency and resisting arrest at the Huffman Dam Five Rivers MetroPark in Bath Township. "According to a report from park rangers," reported the Dayton Daily News, "Heis was arrested Wednesday with two other men when a ranger, acting as a decoy, observed the men engaged in lewd acts."

Jason Anthony Russell, a Lexington, Kentucky man, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for murdering Joseph Pilger, a priest who in 1995 had pleaded guilty to sexually molesting four boys at St. Francis Borgia Roman Catholic Church in Sturgis, Kentucky. Pilger's guily plea was part of a deal with prosecutors that gave Pilger no jail time. Russell, who claims to have been abused as a youngster, "has said he decided to kill [Pilger] after the retired priest offered $5,000 to have sex with Russell's then-6-year-old son," reported the Associated Press. "Russell also claims that he had twice walked in on the retired priest masturbating with photos of Russell's son and catalog clippings of other children." Russell had pleaded guilty to the murder with the understanding that he would be sentenced to life in prison instead of facing the death penalty, but Fayette Circuit Judge Gary Payne imposed the lesser sentence after receiving a letter from one of Pilger's victims, who wrote that Russell had "done a society a favor" by killing a "pedophile monster that preyed upon innocent little boys while in a position of authority and calling him self a man of God."

Roman Kramek, a priest from Poland visiting Sacred Heart Church in New Britain, Conn., was deported back to Poland after completing a nin-month prison term for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl during a counseling session. Kramek told the victim the attack was a "counseling technique" to show her that "sex with a man can be pleasurable."

Judith Lynn Anderson, the business manager at First United Methodist Church of Waukesha, Wisconsin, was sentenced to two years in prison for stealing $253,000 in church funds.

Alan Webster, minister and headmaster at Huntsville [Alabama] Christian Academy, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to possession and manufacture of child pornography. Webster had hundreds of pornographic images on his computer, and had taken nude photos of one of his students.

Mohammad Bolton, youth minister with the Church of Harvest International in Jonesboro, Georgia, was arrested for trying to arrange a sexual encounter with someone he thought was a 15-year-old girl, but who in reality an undercover police officer. Police claimed Bolton had sent the "girl" an obscene photo of himselve over the internet, and asked to sneak into her house. "I do it all the time. It is easy," he reported said.

Ron Durham, pastor of Abundant Life Church in Bangor, Maine, was arrested in Georgia on charges of embezzling more than $100,000 from the church.

Narciso Mendoza, pastor at Word Of Faith Church in San Antonio, Texas, spent four days in jail after disrupting a city council meeting. Mendoza supports Proposition 2, reported KSAT-TV, and wanted to know where the council stood on the issue. He spoke his alloted time, but refused to leave the podium. He then refused to sit down and instead "threw himself on the floor," according to a San Antonio Police Department report.

Ranson Parris, a "bishop" of the New Hope Metropolitan Community Church and Christian Center in Jefferson, West Virginia, was arrested for failing to register as a sex offender. "[West Virginia State] Trooper [Brian] Morris says Parris was convicted of a sex crime with a minor in California," reported the State Journal. "Parris did register as a sex offender in Florida but gave a Roanoke, Virginia address.The 63 year old man has a long rap sheet that spans several states and includes sixteen aliases, said Morris."

John Schwartz, a priest who is the target of a lawsuit by a man who says Schwartz sexually abused him when he was a student at the Jesuit High School in Beaverton, Orgon, was the subject of a publicity campaign by the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) outside St. Anselm's Catholic Church in Ross, California, where Schwartz had been re-assigned. St. Anselm's School is around the corner from the church.

Joseph Herp, a priest who had been accused of sexual abuse in four lawsuits in 2002 and 2003, was dismissed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky, reported the Associated Press:

The Vatican also ordered Robert Dollinger, J. Irvin Mouser and Edwin Scherzer to live in prayer and penance. They are not allowed to perform any public ministry, present themselves as priests or have unsupervised contact with minors. The Vatican uses that option in cases of "health problems or advanced age," according to the archdiocese's report.

Robert Ascolese, priest at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Washington Borough, New Jersey, took a temporary leave of absence while a financial audit of the parish is conducted in response to parishoners' concerns about church finances.

William M. Naughton, pastor of Resurrection Church in Randolph, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to stealing $360,000 from the church, reported the Daily Record:

Naughton, who was ordered by the Diocese of Paterson to step down as the church pastor in 2001, told the judge today that he set up a charity account in the church's name and used its proceeds for his own benefit, withdrawing $360,000 over more than five years. Naughton did not disclose to the judge how he spent the money but, outside court, his attorney said a major portion was spent to help a man named Harold Reid, with whom Naughton decades ago had a brief sexual relationship. The pair remained friends over the years, and Naughton repeatedly assisted Reid when he asked for help, Gilbreth said.

Joan Marie Sladky, a Spanish teacher at a private Baptist school in Redwood City, California, was sentenced to six months in jail for having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student.

See the entire never-ending chronicle of church-related crime (dating back to June 5) here.

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Police chaplain jailed on charges of domestic violence

2005-11-08T08:36:00.000-05:00

FR points me to the story below, which is discussed in more detail at Daily Kos.

A Cleveland minister who is also a Police Department chaplain was jailed Thursday, accused of beating his wife.

Bishop Eugene Ward Jr., the 51-year-old pastor of Greater Love Missionary Full Gospel Baptist Church, was charged Wednesday with domestic violence and aggravated menacing.

Antoinette Sims-Ward told police that the couple were at home about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when they began to quarrel. She said she was on the phone and he was upset by her conversation.

"I'm tired of you and your mouth," he said, according to her statement. He told her to get out and "go see your boyfriend."

Ward declined to comment on the charges, but in a police report he said he was attacked by his wife. He told police his wife started the fight.

Both told police that during the tussle, her nightgown and panties were ripped off.

She said he choked her with the phone cord until she saw white dots and nearly passed out.

Officers said her neck was slightly bruised and red. Ward denied choking her. He told police he accidentally knocked her down some stairs.

Naked except for an overcoat, she ran to a neighbor's home.

She told police Ward had assaulted her three times in the past 12 months.

They married about 10 years ago and have an 8-year-old son.

Ward filed for divorce in December 2002, but the case was dismissed in 2004 when the couple didn't attend a hearing, a court official said.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Medina pastor charged with rape

2005-11-08T08:29:00.000-05:00

LAFAYETTE TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- A Medina pastor and father of 17 children is in jail Monday night charged with rape.

Leonard Robertson was arrested for rape and gross sexual imposition for allegations involving two of his adopted children.

Both were teenaged girls at the time of the alleged attacks.

They are both now adults and out of the home.

Investigators say the couple served as a foster family and adoptive family for many years and still have six kids living at home.

The sheriff fears there are more victims out there.

Robertson is also a pastor with the Prepare the Way Community Church in Medina and he served as a volunteer chaplain for the Medina PD.

He was terminated from the police department following his arrest.

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Ex-judge's molestation trial set

2005-11-08T08:25:00.000-05:00

INVERNESS, Florida - Former county judge and current Inverness lawyer Gary Graham will face trial May 15 on charges that he molested two 10-year-old girls.

Graham faced three felony counts: one of sexual battery on a child younger than 12 and two of lewd and lascivious conduct.

If convicted, his lawyer said, he could face as much as life in prison.

Graham, 57, was in court Monday for a brief hearing in the case. Circuit Judge Ric Howard set the trial date.

Graham did not speak with reporters afterward. But his attorney, Stephen Romine, said he intended to take the case to trial.

"We've received no plea offers from the state, which is not unusual, and my client is facing life in prison," Romine said. "So we're prepared for trial."

He said the trial should take about a week.

The case against Graham involved sexual contact that allegedly occurred in December 2003, court records show.

Graham was accused of touching two 10-year-old girls. The girls told investigators that Graham slipped his hands down their pajamas one night and fondled them, records show. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Speaking in the lobby of the Citrus County Courthouse after the hearing Monday morning, Romine called the state's case weak. He said the state's case could collapse altogether.

"Look at the next two depositions that are coming out, and you can see what I mean," he said.

Previously, Romine pointed out that one of the girls had previously accused her grandfather of fondling her. That claim turned out to be unfounded, investigators said.

Also, the mother of one of the girls admitted lying to sheriff's deputies because she was angry with Graham.

During an interview with law officers, the mother, who is Graham's former girlfriend, never corrected investigators when they referred to the molestation happening in February 2004. But in a subsequent deposition, she said the molestation couldn't have occurred during that time.

Graham was arrested in late November 2004 after an investigation by the Citrus County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

He spent one night in jail before bail was set at $500 and he was released pending resolution of the case.

Utah issues over 7,000 hunting licenses to convicted felons who are not allowed to have or use weapons

2005-11-06T08:21:00.000-05:00

From Alex:

SALT LAKE CITY - They shoot to kill, but what many hunters don't realize: they're sharing Utah's backcountry with convicted felons. Bill Gephardt has spent months looking into this and he has some alarming information.

The law is clear: a convicted felon can never touch a firearm. For five months now, I've been trying to find out who is flouting this law. I took the records from Utah’s Department of Corrections and the Division of Wildlife Resources and cross-referenced the two, looking for felons who've purchased hunting licenses. Wait till you see the results.

The fall hunt -- a tradition passed from father to son. One hunter even described the experience as being "like Christmas when you're a little kid."

But what many law-abiding hunters might not know is that convicted felons are sharing the woods with them.

"That’s a pretty dangerous situation," reacted one hunter.

Dangerous and against the law!

"State law says if you are a convicted felon, you cannot have, own, operate or be in possession of a weapon," explains Jack Ford, spokesperson for Utah Department of Corrections.

But look what I found. For the past five months, I've been comparing the names of Utah's 170,000 convicted felons with the 159,000 people who got a Utah hunting license this year.

My producers have checked and re-checked the addresses, dates of birth, felony convictions and hunting permits of thousands of Utahans. And what we've found is astounding. More than 7,000 convicted felons were able to get a hunting license from the state!

Those results caused some concern for the Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division.

"Was it disturbing to you?" asked Bill.

"Yeah, we were surprised at what we found,” said Director Jim Karpowitz. "

"It's legal for them to purchase a license," explained Karpowitz. "It's not legal for them to use a firearm. And if it was their intent to go out with a firearm, then they needed to be reminded that it's not okay do that," he said.

We found convicted murderers, child rapists and armed robbers who had been granted coveted tags, like limited entry deer and elk licenses. That doesn't sit well with some.

"That’s not right is it?" said one local hunter. "Not when you’re takin' my tags away from me. “

"So we have a difficult time trying to hunt the areas we want to hunt because we can't draw out,” a second hunter pointed out.

A third hunter told me, "That’s not right. That’s upsetting.”

When we brought our findings to the Department of Corrections and Wildlife's attention, they responded immediately. In fact, a new system is in place to track down convicted felons on probation and parole or in prison that also have a hunting license.

"You've made us aware of this and we are going out and pursuing it actively," said Jack Ford.

But the state is only responsible for keeping track of the 20,000 ex-cons who are still in the corrections system.

"We've made a home visit, we've looked at their licenses," said Ford.

But that's not all. The home of some of those convicted felons is right behind me, here at the Utah State Prison.

What is still looming for the state of Utah-- how to handle the 150,000 other felons who have served their time, are no longer in the system, but still cannot touch a gun.

"These people are off paper, we are not supervising them," said Ford.

The Department of Natural Resources has also agreed to change hunting applications, making it crystal clear that if you are a convicted felon, you cannot use a gun or any weapon to hunt. Those 76 tags that were confiscated by corrections officials are now being returned to the felons. Utah authorities have determined they can’t legally take those permits away under the current rule.

Both DWR and the Department of Corrections hope to keep all felons from getting licenses next year. Right now, it’s up to you and me to report felons who are out of the system but using guns to hunt. No police agency is watching.

Police accuse pastor of selling house, too

2005-11-05T10:34:00.000-05:00

RIPON, California — A minister accused of selling his congregation's church was arrested Friday and accused of another shady real estate deal — selling the church-owned house where he lived.
Police arrested the Rev. Randy Radic shortly before 8 a.m. after he left his fiancée's house on Van Dyken Way, Sgt. Ed Ormonde said.

Police said they learned this week that, in 2002, Radic allegedly forged documents to obtain the deed to the modest home where he has been living. County property records show the house was valued at $150,763 in 2004.

First Congregational Church members said they had assumed the house at 137 N. Elm Ave. belonged to the church.

It was the second shock this week. Earlier, Radic was charged with felony embezzlement on suspicion of selling the church for $525,000 without the congregation knowing.

First Congregational is the city's oldest church, built in 1917. Radic has been the pastor for 10 years.

He was booked Friday at San Joaquin County Jail. Bail was set at $1.5 million, an amount that reflects Radic's flight risk and the multiple charges, according to Ormonde.

Members of the church council could not be reached for comment Friday. The church has an average attendance of 30 people on Sunday.

People around town Friday had not yet heard of Radic's arrest. Some, however, still were stunned by the original news that the church itself had been sold.

"We were all shocked," said Dorothy Patterson, a crossing guard in Ripon for 43 years.

Patricia Chavez, who identified herself as a Christian, said she understands how it could happen.

"We're humans," she said. "Temptation is always there. … It's very hard not to fall into sin."

Chavez said she is praying for Radic and his family. Radic is divorced and has a daughter.

Ormonde said it's not surprising that the alleged theft of the house went undetected for years. The church council had no reason to check into it, he said. Radic was living there, rent free, he said.

Almost immediately after using forged documents to get the deed to the house, Radic started taking out home equity loans, Ormonde said.

"At first it was a small loan," he said. "Then a little bigger. Then a little bigger."

Radic took out loans of these approximate amounts: $15,000, $35,000, $60,000, $100,000 and $160,000, Ormonde said. By 2003, Radic filed for bankruptcy.

"Eventually, he couldn't keep up with the payments on the bigger loans, and the house went into foreclosure," Ormonde said.

When that happened, Radic sold the house on Dec. 1, 2004, to Lonni Ashlock Investments, Ormonde said.

Investment firm investigated

The Modesto-area company has had its own run-ins with the law. In July, prosecutors confirmed a criminal investigation into Ashlock's dealings.

According to 10 lawsuits filed in Stanislaus County, Ashlock and partner Ronald Buhler took advantage of families and ended up with their homes. Some suing Ashlock and Buhler claimed the men exploited faith, praying with people as they preyed on them.

In the Ripon case, Ashlock Investments is one of the victims, according to authorities.

"They told our detectives they've put about $30,000 into this investment already," Ormonde said. "They're going to be out that money."

Ashlock could not be reached for comment Friday.

Ashlock Investments took over the Elm Avenue property as part of a foreclosure avoidance procedure. Under an agreement between Ashlock Investments and Radic, the corporation assumed Radic's monthly debts and Radic was to move out by Dec. 1, Ormonde said.

After that, the company would fix up the house and put it up for sale to recoup the debt, he said.

"We think they're victims, just like everybody else that got mixed up with this guy," Ormonde said of Ashlock and Buhler. "We have no reason to believe that there's any wrongdoing on their part."

Radic is charged with two counts of four felonies: embezzlement, embezzlement under false pretenses, forgery and forgery of corporate documents, plus a white-collar crime enhancement.

He is due in court for a pretrial hearing at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 15.

"We're anticipating that there may be additional crimes, but we don't know what they are and we haven't been able to prove anything," Ormonde said.

He added that for a small, conservative town such as Ripon, where most people go to church, it's "an eye-opener."

See also, the never-ending chronicle of church-related crime.

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Testimony against legislator includes details of molestation

2005-11-05T10:28:00.000-05:00

Honolulu - The 27-year-old woman who accused state Rep. Galen Fox of sexually molesting her on a United Airlines flight testified that she awoke to find his hand inside her jeans and rubbing her crotch.

Her testimony was consistent with statements she gave to FBI investigators a day after the Dec. 18 incident on Flight 56, an overnight flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles.

After a non-jury trial in the Central District of California on Oct. 20, U.S. District Judge Margaret Nagle found Fox (R, Waikiki-Ala Moana) guilty of a misdemeanor charge of abusive sexual contact with another person without their consent.

Fox, 62, resigned from office Monday after revealing he had been convicted of sexual misconduct, but he continued to deny the charges yesterday.

He confirmed to the Star-Bulletin the statements he gave to the FBI that he should not have been touching the woman, but said he just touched her right hand as it rested on her left arm.

"I have photographic recollection of that moment -- it was her hand on her arm -- her right hand was on her left elbow," he said.

In her statement, the woman, identified only as Jane Doe in court documents, told the FBI that she had taken a sleeping pill because she wanted to rest and fell asleep holding a folded airline blanket on her lap, her arms crossed over her blanket.

She said she awoke to a warm sensation pressing against her crotch. Lifting her blanket, she saw Fox's right hand rubbing her crotch, according to a statement of probable cause filed by Special Agent Rodney G. Fung of the FBI's Los Angeles International Airport Office.

According to the affidavit, the woman jumped up and said, "What the ---- are you doing?" to which Fox allegedly replied, "I touched you, I'm sorry I touched you." The woman alerted her parents who sat across the aisle from her and then notified flight attendants, who moved them to other seats.

On the advice of his attorney, Fox declined to comment yesterday on the statements the woman gave in court or to the FBI. He maintains he is not guilty despite the judge's verdict.

At the time he touched the woman and yesterday, Fox said he "absolutely" believes he wasn't doing anything wrong. "I was unaware at the time it constituted a chargeable offense," he told the Star-Bulletin.

He said he continues to have faith in the American judicial system, "but I got whacked."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rupa Goswami of the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney's Office declined to respond to Fox's statements.

"All I can say is Judge Margaret Nagle heard the testimony of the victim, found the victim to be credible and found him guilty of a sexual molestation charge beyond a reasonable doubt," she said.

The woman testified that Fox apparently unfastened the button and zipper of her jeans, and she awoke to find his hand inside her jeans and groping her, Goswami said.

Los Angeles police were waiting for Fox when the flight arrived at about 6:30 a.m. the next day. In a statement to FBI agents, Fox denied rubbing the woman's crotch or unzipping her jeans. He admitted to reaching over to touch the woman, whom he described as an attractive Asian female, and said that he should not have been touching her. "He reiterated he was only reaching to touch her hand and could not explain why he wanted to touch her hand," Fung wrote in his affidavit.

Fox and the woman had not talked before the incident.

"I feel like I'm in a difficult position. When she jumped up, I could see I was touching her. It's possible that I committed a crime," Fox told the agents.

Prosecutors were expected to ask the courts that Fox seek counseling and serve a term of probation, but Goswami said yesterday that she will wait to review a pre-sentence report before deciding. The charge brought against Fox was appropriate, Goswami said.

"We do take safety on board airplanes seriously and bring these types of charges when we feel it's warranted," she said.

Fox faces a statutory maximum of six months in prison and five years on supervised release when sentenced Jan. 25. Or he could receive five years probation and be ordered to pay a nominal fine.

Fox said he will step down effective Dec. 1.

Russell Pang, Gov. Linda Lingle's press secretary, said the governor would find a successor under a process similar to that used for the seat held by Rep. Sol Kaho'ohalahala. At that time, Lingle formed two committees to screen nominations and make recommendations to her.

She did not use that process when she named Bev Harbin to fill a vacancy this summer and was criticized when it turned out that Harbin had tax liens and a criminal record.

Pang said that after Fox's conviction, the legislator told a staff member in the Governor's Office that he had been found guilty and on Oct. 25 he asked to meet with Lingle. The meeting was held Monday and he announced his resignation later that day.

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