ABUSE TRACKER

East Asian police unleashed a crackdown on child pornography production and use, while Sri Lanka witnessed scenes of multi-faith harmony as Buddhist monks undertook a week-long peace walk. Tune in for the latest developments from Asia.

More than 325 people have been arrested in East Asian nations by transnational law enforcement agencies on suspicion of producing, using, and distributing child pornography and engaging in other sex crimes across Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Brunei.

Dubbed locally as Operation Hurdler, officials say the suspects had downloaded child porn material through social media platforms, websites, and torrent software, and stored it in their computers or phones.

The nine men most recently detained in Hong Kong were aged from 18 to 61, and 15 computers and external storage devices, and eight mobile phones had been seized, containing more than 200 child porn videos and photos. One of the men arrested has also allegedly…

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There are two types of evil: The direct kind, committed by the person who inflicts pain and suffering, and the indirect kind, committed by the person who sees it and does little or nothing. Maryland’s highest court has declared that, in the case of the monstrous abuses inflicted on children years ago by Catholic clergy, the first form of evil warrants public exposure but the latter does not.

This is a complicated and fascinating legal and moral matter: Is private shame sufficient punishment for those who stood by and did nothing, or should they face public exposure and humiliation?

It sounds like good material for debate clubs and philosophy classes.

But, for the many victims of sexual abuse, this is no academic exercise; it’s a real-life insult to their dogged campaign for a full public accounting of the sins of the Roman Catholic Church.

In a ruling filed April 27,…

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A former Priest from Nampa was sentenced to spend up to the next 15 years in prison on Wednesday.

Former Nampa Priest Robert Mendez Esquivel was sentenced to 15 years, three years fixed, after he pleaded guilty to sexual battery of a minor. Esquivel served at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Nampa and was arrested in August of last year. Court records show that Esquivel connected with a 16-year-old victim on the Grindr app.

The victim submitted an impact statement, which was read before sentencing. According to court records, the letter described a lasting emotional toll: “I have not attended court because I feel ashamed and embarrassed of what happened,” wrote the victim. “I hope I can come to terms with what happened, but I don’t know if I ever will.”

Court records show that the Victim’s mother also submitted an impact letter, saying in part, “You make me sick…you’re…

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A Nampa priest has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual battery of a minor.

Robert Mendez Esquivel, a former priest at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Nampa and known as “Father Toto,” was arrested in August. He was originally charged with rape and two counts of sexual battery of a minor, but in January pleaded guilty to one count of sexual battery of a minor. The other charges were dropped.

WATCH: Inside the courtroom as a former Nampa priest was sentenced

Investigators said the two met at a Nampa park where a sexual act occurred. Police said the victim was not connected to St. Paul’s Catholic Church or its school, where Mendez had served as a priest beginning in 2022.

According to Nampa Police, Esquivel met the 16-year-old victim through the dating app Grindr.

Prosecutors pushed for 20 years in prison, arguing…

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East Bay Catholics were informed on Wednesday, April 29, that the Diocese of Oakland would close 13 churches across the region amid financial struggles and years of declining parishioner numbers.

In a letter to the diocese, the Bishop of Oakland, Michael Barber, stated that the majority of the closures were in Oakland, along with four other churches in Alameda County and two in Contra Costa County.

Here’s the list of the 13 churches being closed:

• Mary Help of Christians, Oakland
• Our Lady of Guadalupe site at Blacow Road, Fremont
• Our Lady of Lourdes, Oakland
• Sacred Heart, Oakland
• St. Albert the Great, Alameda
• St. Andrew Kim Korean Pastoral Center, Oakland
• St. Augustine, Oakland
• St. Barnabas, Alameda
• St. Paschal Baylon, Oakland
• St. Patrick, Oakland
• St. Rose of Lima, Crockett
• St. Stephen, Walnut Creek
• Transfiguration, Castro Valley

Of the 80 churches throughout the region, Oakland was home to…

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While on a retreat in 1990 for students who had participated in summer ministries at the evangelical flagship Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, “Joe” had a horrifying experience in the middle of the night.

“I just remember being in a state where I’m wrestling against something that is so much stronger than me. I can’t even really move,” Joe told The Roys Report (TRR). “But I remember continuing to try to sit up, try to get up. And then, as I’m struggling, I’m realizing that someone is fondling me.”

Joe said he finally “exploded up” into a sitting position. He then saw something that seemed like “a demonic spirit … float up and go through the door of the room into the hallway.”

“It’s just matter of fact,” Joe told TRR, noting he was relaying events as he remembered them, not embellishing to sound sensational. Then he conceded that “at…

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An unnamed priest in the archdiocese of New York says forcing parishes to fund abuse settlements would be a “disaster” for the archdiocese, and describes bankruptcy as “the nuclear option.” Those are not disasters. 

The disaster happened each and every time the approximately 1,700 survivors in New York, and the many who still are not ready to come forward, were molested, raped and silenced. There is little doubt that those crimes were enabled by priests, bishops and cardinals, who covered up abuse and paid expensive attorneys to paper those secrets.

Child sexual abuse happened in every corner of the New York archdiocese. Every parish, school and archdiocesan legal entity should contribute whatever it takes to compensate these courageous men and women who as children were irreparably harmed. New York survivors are owed respect, dignity and the truth. 

To threaten bankruptcy after simultaneously selling a billion dollars of high-rise real estate…

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A priest from the Roman Catholic denomination has been jailed for 19 months after being convicted of sexually assaulting a man at his church home. 

Father Stephen Baillie, who was a priest for 36 years, forced himself on the drunken businessman at the chapel house of St Joseph’s Church in Clarkston, Renfrewshire in Scotland, after a night out together. 

Last month the imprisoned priest was convicted by a jury at Paisley Sheriff Court, after he denied the charge. 

The Diocese of Paisley had previously revealed that Baillie, who has been placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years, had been dismissed as a parish priest. 

The former canon, who is 61-years-old, had served at churches in Eaglesham, Clarkston, Paisley, Greenock and Barrhead. 

Baillie’s victim was physically sick after he attempted to perform a sexual act on him in June 2024, the court heard. 

The man told the jury that after sharing a bottle of wine, he’d agreed to go back to his house to wait…

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New lawsuits are once again dragging the legacy of Father George Boxelaar into the light, accusing the late Carmelite priest of sexually abusing children around Middletown in Orange County hundreds of times over decades. Attorney Jim Monroe says eight more men have now filed claims under New York’s Child Victims Act, and investigators have identified roughly 14 other alleged victims. The complaints cover a period from the late 1960s through 1985, and one of the newly filed cases is slated for trial next month in Orange County civil court.

According to News 12, the suits name the Archdiocese of New York, the Carmelite Fathers and parishes where Boxelaar served as defendants. Monroe estimates the allegations add up to more than 4,500 incidents across the cases. The new complaints are described as separate from an earlier lawsuit brought by survivor Leonard Filipowski, which is still pending.

Filings with…

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Attorney Jim Monroe says eight additional men have now filed Child Victims Act lawsuits tied to the late Father George Boxelaar, with 14 other alleged victims also identified as one case nears trial next month.

Newly filed lawsuits allege that a late Orange County Catholic priest committed hundreds of assaults against children.

Leonard Filipowski says he was just a little boy when his parents dropped him off at Holy Cross Church in Middletown, unable to imagine what he now claims was happening behind closed doors.

“I said, ‘Father George kisses me and I don’t like it,’” Filipowski said, recalling how he first tried to tell adults what was happening.

He says no one believed him at the time, and that the abuse continued for four years in the 1970s.

“As a kid, he’s a priest. He’s Jesus on earth. I was afraid to say no,” Filipowski said.

As an adult,…

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Thousands of East Bay residents woke up Wednesday to news that they will no longer be able to attend Mass at their church, as the Oakland Diocese announced plans to close thirteen Catholic parishes.

Seven of the churches are in Oakland, with six others outside the city, including Transfiguration Church in Castro Valley and Saint Stephen Church in Walnut Creek.

The closures follow years of financial struggles for the Oakland Diocese. In 2023, the diocese filed for bankruptcy, and last week it was ordered to pay $16 million in a clergy abuse case. Diocesan leaders said those developments did not factor into the decision to close churches. The diocese attributes this decision to a lack of priests, low Catholic school enrollment and a decline in Mass attendance.

In a statement, the Oakland bishop wrote in part, “We are currently seeking bankruptcy court approval of our proposed plan of reorganization. Regardless…

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A UOC study provides an objective system for measuring whether these programmes truly meet the victims’ needs

The model can be adapted to different contexts, and can evaluate programmes such as those linked to sexual abuse in the Catholic Church or to the peace process in Colombia

Sexual abuse committed within religious institutions is a problem that affected 1.13% of the adult population of Spain. That is the conclusion of a survey involving a sample of 8,013 people conducted in 2023, which helped shape the Informe sobre los abusos sexuales en el ámbito de la Iglesia católica y el papel de los poderes públicos: Una respuesta necesaria [Report on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and the role of the authorities: A necessary response], which was published by the Spanish Ombuds Office in 2024.

The authors of the report call for a response to the victims’ suffering and loneliness, which…

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More than 100 alumni of Wexner Foundation fellowships and professional development programs have started a fund to aid survivors of sexual abuse and exploitation.

Rachel Faulkner was working at a Jewish nonprofit that advocates for gender equity when she was selected for a prestigious, three-year professional development fellowship through the Wexner Foundation.

Established by retail billionaire Leslie Wexner, the foundation headquartered in New Albany, Ohio, had been highly regarded for its competitive and rigorous fellowships that train midcareer Jewish leaders, both clergy and lay.

Faulkner said she had heard that Wexner had tiesto sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who once was Wexner’s financial manager, when she accepted the fellowship in 2022. But she was not aware of the extent of the two men’s collaboration. Especially after Wexner’s congressional testimony in February on the heels of the Epstein files’ release, she said, she has now felt the need to distance herself from the…

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Prosecutors in Maryland may not reveal the names of individuals who allegedly hid or failed to report Church abuse, the state Supreme Court said April 27. 

As part of its investigation into alleged abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the state attorney generalʼs office had sought to make public the details of a grand jury report, including the identities of individuals who have not been charged with a crime but who allegedly failed to stop abuse from occurring. 

A lower court granted the attorney generalʼs request to publish the information, with an appellate court partly upholding that decision. Yet in its April 27 ruling, the Maryland Supreme Court reversed those decisions, holding that the attorney generalʼs office did not “meet [the] burden” of justifying the release of the identities. 

“Many grand jury investigations obtain damaging information and allegations about uncharged individuals that the public might benefit from learning,” the high…

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The names of people who concealed child sexual abuse in the Baltimore Catholic Archdiocese must remain redacted, the Maryland Supreme Court ruled Monday.

Justice Jonathan Biran wrote that the court may not order the disclosure of secret grand jury material for the purpose of holding someone accountable in the court of public opinion.

The decision will keep 17 names of people who allegedly protected child abusers in the church under wraps.

“Petitioners would face the court of public opinion without any effective means of rebutting The Office of the Attorney General’s accusations,” Biran wrote. “This would defeat one of the main purposes of the grand jury process: preventing unindicted persons from being ‘held up to public ridicule.’ A contrary result also would undermine the efficacy of the grand jury as an investigative tool.”

Theresa Lancaster, a lawyer representing survivors was disappointed by the ruling.

“By not naming the names of…

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A survivor of clergy sexual abuse who hasn’t been identified publicly has won a major payout, in a case that could have “broad implications for hundreds of similar” claims against the Catholic Church.

His attorney Rick Simons said the verdict left his client “relieved that a 16-year trial has come to an end…” after decades of suffering.

The plaintiff, identified in court as “John Doe”, was awarded $16m after a jury found the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland liable for abuse he said he suffered more than 50 years ago. The case centred on former East Bay priest Stephen Kiesle.

The lawsuit was one of hundreds filed against the diocese, according to Daily Star, many of which had been paused after it filed for bankruptcy three years ago. A judge allowed a small number of cases to move forward, with this becoming the first to reach a verdict.

Simons, part of a legal team…

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A former Boone pastor who is a registered sex offender has withdrawn his year-long request to be removed from the registry.

Former Grace Community Church Pastor Joel Waltz, 56, of Boone, was arrested in 2017 for sexually exploiting an underage teenager for several years.

Waltz groomed and sexually abused the then minor he’d known since the victim was 11 years old. The two met when Waltz was a youth pastor at Grace Community Church.

Waltz was sentenced to four years in state prison and released on parole in January 2019. He has been a registered sex offender since.

Waltz requested to be taken off the Iowa Sex Offender Registry in April 2025, after rumors began circulating that he was working for a church in Ames.

A trial began on March 24, and at “the conclusion of the evidence, the parties requested additional…

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A now-former coach at an all-girls Catholic high school in Cincinnati is facing several charges in connection with a child porn investigation.

Dominic Bellissemo, 31, has been charged with multiple felony counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving minors.

The investigation

The charges come after the Green Township Police Criminal Investigation Section in conjunction with the Regional Electronics and Computer Investigation Unit (RECI) conducted a search warrant in a home on Sunburst Ridge Lane.

Green Township police said they were notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about the illegal activity.

What police say

Police say that as a result of the investigation and evidence obtained, Bellissemo was charged and arrested.

Police said when they confronted Bellissemo, he admitted to having the pictures.

Investigators said they believe there are hundreds of images involved, but they are still sorting through electronic devices under a search warrant.

“It’s still…

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Cheshire Police made multiple arrests after carrying out a raid on three properties in Crewe connected with the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light

Hundreds of police swoop on former orphanage in northern England as part of a major investigation into allegations of serious sexual abuse, modern slavery and forced marriage.

Cheshire Police made multiple arrests after carrying out a raid on three properties in Crewe connected with the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, an Islamic religious group.

More than 500 policemen swooped on the cult based at the site of a former children’s orphanage at Webb House, Crewe, at 8:50am on Wednesday morning.

Six people have been arrested in connection with the raid, four men and two women of American, Mexican, Italian, Spanish, and British nationalities.

Cheshire Police have stressed that they are not investigating the group, they are investigating the offences. All of the offences involve one…

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Cheshire Police are investigating allegations involving members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light group in Crewe

Police have carried out huge raids in Cheshire this morning in connection with serious allegations involving members of a religious group.

The allegations are alleged to have involved members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light group based in Crewe. Cheshire Police said the force was made aware of allegations of serious sexual offences, forced marriage and modern slavery.

This morning (April 29), officers raided three properties in connection to the group, including the HQ at Webb House. The Ahmadi religious community, linked to a branch of Islam, are based at the former orphanage, with around 150 people living at the property.

Multiple arrests have been made, though Cheshire Police has not yet confirmed how many. More than 500 officers were involved in the operation this morning at around 8.50am.

Searches…

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A Tucson pastor accused of failing to report child sexual abuse is incompetent to stand trial but will undergo a restoration-to-competency program so that he can face the charges.

Pastor Isaac Noriega’s competency has been evaluated by outside experts three times. The first two split on the question of whether Noriega could become competent, and the third, a neuropsychological evaluator, made no recommendation as to whether Noriega could become competent. 

“The law is very clear that unless there’s clear and convincing evidence that he cannot be restored to competency, then he shall be placed into a restoration program,” Pima County Superior Court Judge Mark Hotchkiss said. “I do not believe based on the state of the reports, most notably Dr. (Marisa) Menchola’s (neuropsychology) report that there is clear and convincing evidence that he cannot be restored to competency.”

Noriega, 83, is charged with one felony and one misdemeanor for failing…

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Assistant head Harriet Brown was in an inappropriate relationship with a convicted child sex offender, who she visited fortnightly in prison

A primary teacher from Stockton has been banned from the profession for life after having a relationship with a child sex offender. When the school, at St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, in Stockton, became aware of the inappropriate relationship, Harriet Brown was suspended and dismissed following an investigation.

The former assistant head made “regular fortnightly visits and daily phone calls” to the man, who had been jailed for sex offences involving a child under the age of 13. Now a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel has prohibited the 31-year-old from teaching indefinitely following a hearing in February.

Documents, published by the agency, reveal how Miss Brown had initially disclosed that she had ended her relationship with the man after her boyfriend was arrested and charged. But, two months after…

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The News4JAX I-TEAM has obtained a court-filed protection injunction from the victim in the case against former youth pastor and local business owner Joshua Trent, who is accused of sexually abusing an underage girl for years, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

In the filing, the victim describes what she said happened to her as a teenager.

“When I was 15 years old the respondent was my pastor and he sexually assaulted me for about five years. He groomed me for several years from 2016-2022 and then sexually assaulted me for several years. What the respondent did to me as a teenager is starting to resurface as an adult,” she wrote in the injunction.

Trent, 42, was arrested and booked into the Duval County Jail. Police said the abuse began with hugs and escalated over time to intimate touching and sexual acts at multiple locations, including the…

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Joshua Trent, 42, was charged with two counts of sexual battery, as stated in an arrest report by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, following allegations of abuse.

A Jacksonville man who worked as the youth pastor at Hillcrest Baptist Church nearly a decade ago was arrested on child sex crime charges from that time, according to court records and details in a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrest report obtained by First Coast News.

Joshua Trent, 42, was arrested April 12 by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) for crimes dating back to 2016.

Investigators in the JSO arrest report say Trent and an unnamed victim first connected while attending church services at Hillcrest Baptist Church where he was employed as a youth pastor. 

The victim told police in the report that Trent became a friend of the family and a father figure to the victim. They had started to have regular contact at church…

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An employee at a Tontitown church who was arrested last year for having images and videos showing child sexual abuse on his personal cellphone and a work computer has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison.

Paul Scouten, 40, of East Cortland Street in Fayetteville, was arrested by Arkansas State Police in April 2025 for distributing, possessing or viewing material depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child.

Scouten was indicted by a federal grand jury May 21. He pleaded guilty Oct. 6 and was sentenced in federal court Thursday to six years and two months in prison to be followed by 15 years supervised release. He was ordered to pay $19,000 in restitution.

The investigation into Scouten began after Google flagged 92 images and videos of child sexual abuse uploaded to its platform on Aug. 13, 2024, according to a criminal complaint filed in the…

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A former minister at a Coweta County church was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with 10 to serve, after he was found to have child pornography.

The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office arrested Morgan James Gravely in April 2024 after deputies received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in reference to an IP address, belonging to Gravely, which contained child porn.

A search warrant was then executed at his Newnan home, resulting in several electronic devices being taken as evidence.

Gravely was arrested and charged with child sexual exploitation after an interview with an Internet Crimes Against Children Investigator.

The arrest report listed Gravely’s employer as the Newnan Church of Christ.

Online archive from September 2023 shows Gravely served as families minister.

At the time, the church sent Channel 2 Action News the following statement:

“James Morgan Gravley is no longer serving on the…

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The Maryland Supreme Court ruled Monday that the Attorney General’s Office cannot publish the names of Archdiocese of Baltimore clergy and staff who were cited in a grand jury probe of sexual abuse of children, but never charged.

The ruling overturns two lower courts that had agreed with the attorney general that publishing the names was justified to “make public for the first time the enormous scope and scale of abuse and concealment perpetrated by the Archdiocese of Baltimore.”

But the high court said, in a 37-page opinion Monday, that allowing publication of the names would defeat one of the main reasons for the secrecy of grand jury proceedings: Preventing unindicted persons from being “held up to public ridicule.”

“One of the primary purposes of grand jury secrecy is to protect uncharged persons from public disgrace in the absence of a criminal charge and a forum in which…

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Reviving the proposed constitutional amendment to give childhood sexual abuse survivors a shot at justice would be a mistake, a lawyer who represented victims of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky told lawmakers Thursday.

Instead, the General Assembly should work to pass a simple bill to create a two-year window for childhood sex abuse victims to seek justice, even after their time to sue has passed, University of Pennsylvania law professor Marci Hamilton said.

“A statute can be enacted in the next month, it can be voted on. It can become the law,” she testified in a House Democratic Policy Committee hearing on new bills that aim to give survivors their day in court.

State lawmakers have been working for two decades to pass legislation or a constitutional amendment to temporarily suspend the statute of limitations for adults to seek accountability for abuse they suffered as children.

A…

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Havertown native Jay Sefton, abused by a priest in middle school, channeled his pain into a solo play called Unreconciled, with its final performance near the steps of the Harrisburg Capitol to sway lawmakers to help abuse survivors, writes Gauri Mangala for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Co-written by Sefton and Mark Basquill, the play also explores Sefton’s later dealings with Philadelphia Archdiocese’s Independent Reconciliation and Reparations Program for Claims of Clergy Abuse of Minors.

Throughout the play, Sefton portrays multiple figures from his life, including his father, classmates, and Rev. Thomas J. Smith, a Philadelphia priest defrocked in 2007 following allegations of sexual misconduct with minors.

The play challenges both the abuser and the system that hinders survivors of childhood abuse from addressing their trauma.

“I’m really lucky that I took that rage and found a way to channel it into something really beautiful,” said Sefton.

Unreconciled concluded its two-week, three-city tour on April…

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Michael Deckinga, of Dyer, faces a potential decades-long federal prison sentence after admitting to distributing child pornography over an extended period, according to federal court filings.

Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 228 months (19 years) in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, along with $47,000 in restitution, a $5,000 federal assessment, and forfeiture of a cellphone used in the offense.  

According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Deckinga admitted to accessing child pornography for approximately five years and distributing the material between November 22, 2024, and May 14, 2025.  

Deckinga was the vice president of advancement at Mid-America Reformed Seminary in Dyer, Indiana. According to a statement provided to The Roys Report by the seminary’s vice president of operations Dan Fletcher said, “Mid-America Reformed Seminary can confirm that on the morning of August 13, 2025, agents of the Department of Homeland Security executed search warrants on the seminary…

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Ealing Abbey in west London will on Saturday 2 May unveil a plaque in the abbey church, marking its commitment to supporting survivors of child sexual abuse. Abbot Dominic Taylor will bless the plaque at a Mass of Hope and Healing for survivors on Saturday 2 May at 11.15am. It has been installed in the Mary Mother of All chapel which has a relief that depicts Our Lady drawing children to her. The plaque reads: “Mindful of all victims of child sexual abuse by clergy and people in authority, we acknowledge the terrible wrong done and grieve the deep suffering caused. Ever vigilant let us work and pray for healing, justice and peace. The Abbot and Community.” The text was written by the group, HOPE, which had the idea for a Mass not just for survivors of abuse but for all parishioners and those distressed and concerned about it. The…

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Operation Hurdler nets 325 suspects linked to the production, use and distribution of child porn online

East Asian police have arrested more than 325 people on suspicion of producing, using and distributing child pornography and other sex crimes across seven jurisdictions amid a crackdown on the scourge and warnings that further charges could follow.

In Hong Kong, police said nine people had been arrested in conjunction with transnational law enforcement agencies dubbed locally as Operation Hurdler, following hundreds of arrests in March and April in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Brunei.

“Initial investigation shows the suspects had downloaded child porn material through social media platforms, websites and torrent software, and stored them in their computers or phones,” said Ferris Cheung, a superintendent of the cyber security and technology crime bureau.

He told journalists the nine men most recently detained in Hong Kong were aged from 18 to 61 and that 15 computers and external…

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Survivors of clergy sexual abuse, Catholic leaders, and members of the diocesan community gathered Sunday at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for a “Blue Sunday” Mass.

The mass, centered on prayer, healing, and reflection, was held just weeks after a federal court finalized the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case tied to abuse claims.

The service took place during National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a national observance in April when faith-based communities across the country are encouraged to pray for victims of child abuse and those working to protect children.

Inside Sunday’s Mass, survivors and church members filled the cathedral for a service that emphasized both prayer and accountability. Bishop Douglas J. Lucia, who leads the Diocese of Syracuse, said the Church must continue confronting its history.

“We just needed to bring things into the light. We couldn’t hide behind things,” Lucia said.

As part of…

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Australian Catholic University (ACU) has launched a new PhD scholarship to address a growing number of safeguarding challenges – including a large increase in student-on-student physical and sexual abuse in schools nationwide.

The industry-funded scholarship is supported by MacKillop Family Services and will explore how schools can improve student safety through prevention and early identification.

The Institute of Child Protection Studies’ Deputy Director Associate Professor Tim Moore said that much of the safeguarding research completed to date focussed on complying with new standards and systems, but there is a need to find ways to deal with emerging issues in a school setting.

“Schools are facing issues they haven’t encountered before. The rates of adult abuse of children in schools has decreased over time, but we’ve seen, for example, a large spike in the number of peer-to-peer issues. This covers a range of abuse, including violence in relationships or sexual harassment,”…

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The case was one of hundreds of lawsuits filed by survivors of clergy abuse against the diocese.

A man who was sexually abused by a priest has won a multi million pound payout. The man, who has not been identified publicly, has been awarded $16 million by a jury after bringing a case against his former church.

The survivor won the civil lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, and now it has been said that the verdict “could have broad implications for hundreds of similar clergy abuse cases.” The case is just one of hundreds of lawsuits filed by survivors of clergy abuse against the diocese.

Others have also come forward with lawsuits, but until now, the other have been on hold since the diocese filed for bankruptcy three years ago. A judge allowed this case, along with a handful of others, to move forward but this…

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The Archdiocese of New York is reportedly in danger of bankruptcy unless it raises hundreds of millions of dollars to pay off roughly 1,700 people who allege priests and lay staff members sexually abused them as minors.

Parish pastors were told during an April 17 emergency meeting at St. Joseph College and Seminary in Yonkers that despite cost-cutting — which included $800 million in real estate selloffs over the past two years — a $300 million fund to pay off the victims is still well short of what’s needed to reach a global settlement, Our Town reported.

The priests were told they’d have to dip into their own parish coffers to collectively raise up to $400 million, or the archdiocese – which represents millions of Catholics in Manhattan, The Bronx, Staten Island and seven upstate counties — would be forced into bankruptcy.

“That is the nuclear option,” said…

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Syracuse Catholic Bishop Douglas Lucia is set to celebrate a Special Mass on Sunday for abuse survivors.

The service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday in observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. It will be held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception at 259 E. Onondaga St. in downtown Syracuse.

Lucia oversees the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, which includes about 200,000 Catholics across seven counties in Central New York.

The diocese recently exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy, six years after filing for protections as it faced a growing number of sex abuse lawsuits.

The centerpiece of the diocese’s bankruptcy exit plan was the creation of a roughly $176 million compensation fund for abuse survivors if they ended their lawsuits against the church. In all, 411 abuse claims were filed.

Lucia has repeatedly apologized for any abuse that happened….

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More than 50 years after the alleged abuse by former Oakland priest Stephen Kiesle, a civil jury has awarded one of his accusers $16 million.

Rick Simons, an attorney for survivors, said the verdict reflects the lasting impact of childhood sexual abuse, particularly when it involves clergy. “We were very pleased that the jury recognized how severe and long-lasting childhood sexual assault is, particularly when it involves the betrayal of trust by a priest to an altar boy. How severe, long lasting and permanent that is, and the depth of harm that was done to that child that he cared,” Simons said.

The verdict against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland is giving hope to other survivors of clergy sexual abuse, according to Simons. He said legal options remain for some victims. “Suits can be still filed by people who are under 40 or by people who, within the last…

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An Alameda County jury on Wednesday awarded $16 million in damages to a man who was sexually abused in the 1970s by a notorious Oakland priest, lawyers for the survivor said, marking a milestone decision in a wave of similar lawsuits filed in recent years. 

The case is likely among the first to reach a jury verdict under the California Child Victims Act, a 2020 law that made it easier to bring litigation in decades-old child sexual assault claims, according to law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates. 

“This is a case about accountability, it’s about justice,” Rick Simons, the lead trial lawyer for the survivor, said in a statement. “It’s about (the victim) finding his voice and regaining his power. We stand with him on this momentous day.” 

The civil case was brought by an unnamed survivor who was abused as a child by Stephen Kiesle, a convicted criminal who was…

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Senate Democrats oppose measures reducing how long people have to file personal injury and uninsured motorist claims, saying the insurance industry is holding abuse survivors ‘hostage’

A bill to more than quadruple the time childhood sexual abuse victims have to sue their abusers stalled this week in the Missouri Senate after Democrats accused insurance lobbyists of using it to impose shorter limits on personal injury lawsuits.

It’s the fourth year Republican state Rep. Brian Seitz of Branson has sponsored legislation aiming to increase the window for childhood sexual abuse survivors to file civil claims. And it’s the second year that proposal has been combined with legislation that would reduce the statute of limitations for personal injury claims — part of an effort by lawmakers to stave off opposition from the insurance lobby. 

Seitz, who has attributed past failures of his legislation to…

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The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has agreed to cover $45.8 million of a settlement for individuals abused at Chruch-run institutes in St. John’s, including the infamous Mount Cashel Orphanage.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has agreed to pay $45.8 million to individuals abused at Catholic-run institutions across the province, including the notorious Mount Cashel Orphanage, parishes and government-funded schools.

Lawyers representing hundreds of claimant survivors and counsel for the province’s justice and safety department presented this tentative settlement to Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador Justice Garnett Handrigan during an April 24 court hearing.

Handrigan will approve or deny the proposed compensation agreement at a later date.

St. John’s Archbishop Peter Hundt confirmed in an email “the $45.8 million that the provincial government has agreed to pay is part of the $121-million compensation awarded by the Court to the victims of Church-linked abuse.”

Hundt also stated that “like…

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On the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ death, we remember the late pontiff and some of the most significant moments of his papacy.

On April 21, 2025, the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica tolled for Pope Francis, marking the end of his life and his 12-year papacy. As the 265th successor of St. Peter, the Argentinian pontiff left a lasting impact on the Catholic Church.

Here are nine significant moments that have become part of Pope Francis’ legacy:

1. Election of the first Latin American pope

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis was the first pope from Latin America and the first Jesuit to hold the office — two “firsts” that signaled a shift away from a historically Eurocentric Church. His choice of the name Francis, inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, hinted at priorities rooted in humility, poverty, and care for creation.

Even his first appearance broke with…

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Catholic parish pastors were told at a recent emergency meeting in Westchester that the New York Archdiocese needs to collectively raise hundreds of millions of dollars more for its fund for the victims of past sexual abuse or the archdiocese could be forced into bankruptcy.

The Archdiocese of New York may be going bankrupt. The shocking news stunned pastors who were summoned to a recent emergency, all-hands meeting in which they were told that, despite real estate selloffs and cost cutting, the $300 million fund to pay off past victims of sexual abuse by priests and lay personnel was still hundreds of millions of dollars short of what is needed to reach a global settlement.

That woeful underfunding comes despite the Diocese having sold off over $800 million worth of real estate over the past two years. Pastors received the devastating news on April 17 at the sprawling 40-acre St….

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The Vatican imposed confidential disciplinary measures on its former bishop in 2021.

A Belgian diocese confirmed this week that the Vatican imposed confidential disciplinary measures on its former bishop in 2021.

The Diocese of Namur, in southern Belgium, said April 21 that retired Bishop Rémy Vancottem was informed five years ago that he could no longer celebrate Mass in public or participate in bishops’ conference bodies due to his mishandling of an abuse case.

The 82-year-old Vancottem led the diocese from 2010 until his retirement in 2019, at the age of 75.

The disciplinary measures came to light following inquiries by the Belgian weekly magazine Humo.

The magazine published an article April 20 highlighting that the diocese will host four bishops following the return to Belgium from France of the 85-year-old Archbishop André Léonard. The diocese is also home to Bishop Fabien Lejeusne, who has led the diocese since December 2025, and…

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The journalistic legacy of longtime National Catholic Reporter contributor Jason Berry has now been preserved by University Press of Mississippi as part of their Literary Conversations series. The new book Conversations with Jason Berry compiles 23 archived interviews in which Berry reflects on the forces that have shaped his work — including uncovering corruption in the Catholic Church, and chronicling the rich cultural and political landscape of Louisiana. 

Conversations with Jason Berry

Howard Hunter, editor

218 pages; University Press of Mississippi

$25.00

The following are excerpts from the book.

“Rockburn Presents,” a cable public affairs TV talk show in Canada, 2012

Rockburn: The beginning of your work with Charles Evers led to a book you wrote (Amazing Grace, 1973) Were you always inclined to go in that direction? Is that the career path you planned for yourself?

Berry: Not exactly. I wanted to be a writer….

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It is the first time that the Episcopal Conference recognizes such a high number of alleged aggressors

The Catholic Church has more than 1,000 alleged sexual abuse offenders. This has been acknowledged by the Secretary General and spokesperson for the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), Francisco César García Magán. In a press conference this Friday, the spokesperson for the Spanish Church admitted that they have 1,131 complaints collected over the last five years and a thousand alleged offenders. This is the first time the institution has acknowledged figures of this magnitude.

These figures have been made public after the 129th plenary assembly of the CEE, during which it was reported that in 2025, 93 new complaints for sexual abuse were received by the 262 child protection offices created by both dioceses and congregations. To try to curb this scourge and prevent new cases, last year the CEE carried out several training…

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A parish pastor in western Finland has been charged with sexual offences against children, with three alleged victims identified in a case set to proceed in court.

Prosecutors have brought charges against the man, who is in his forties, including three counts of sexual abuse of a minor and three counts linked to breach of duty, according to Helsingin Sanomat.

The alleged offences took place during the spring and early summer of 2023. The case involves three complainants. Hearing dates have not yet been set.

The pastor served in a parish within the Turku archdiocese in the Satakunta region. Church authorities have suspended him from both his parish duties and priesthood following the charges.

The investigation began after the parish became aware of the allegations in autumn 2023. The parish then contacted police and filed a criminal complaint.

A statement from the archdiocese confirmed that the employee was…

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A state appeals court has upheld a former Morgan County pastor’s sodomy conviction.

A ruling released Friday shows that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Danny Duane Pitts’ 2024 conviction.

Pitts was arrested in 2021 and charged with first- and second-degree sodomy after the case against him sat cold for years. The case was first reported to police in 2007.

Pitts was convicted of second-degree sodomy in 2024 following accusations of a long-term sexual relationship with an underage member of Gracepoint Church.

He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Online records from the Alabama Department of Corrections show Pitts has served almost a year and a half of that sentence at Elmore Correctional Facility.

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Kendrick J. Guidry of Lake Charles’ handling of the situation has invited questions about why he didn’t recuse himself much earlier.

Only one Louisiana judge, Kendrick J. Guidry of Lake Charles, has ruled in favor of the Catholic Church’s ongoing attempts to strike down a state law which allowed old abuse claims their day in court – even after a state Supreme Court decision upheld the constitutionality of that so-called “lookback window.”

But now, that judge is being forced to acknowledge that his ruling benefitted a specific Lake Charles church whose finance committee he sits on, giving him a direct financial interest that required his recusal under the state’s judicial code. 

His handling of the situation has invited questions about why he didn’t recuse himself much earlier. And it served up another of multiple instances in which avowedly Catholic judges in Louisiana have issued a ruling in favor of a…

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The suit concerned allegations against former priest Stephen Kiesle, who has faced dozens of lawsuits regarding alleged child abuse.

A California man has been awarded a massive $16 million payout in a civil suit regarding allegations against a former priest from the Diocese of Oakland.

A jury in Alameda County Superior Court on April 22 awarded the eight-figure settlement to an unidentified John Doe amid ongoing bankruptcy proceedings brought by the Oakland Diocese.

The law firm Jeff Anderson and Associations said in a press release that the settlement was “the first case to reach a jury verdict under the California Child Victims Act.” The law, passed in 2019, opened a three-year window for alleged abuse victims to file claims outside of the standard statute of limitations.

The allegations brought by the John Doe in Oakland concerned Father Stephen Kiesle, a priest who has faced multiple abuse allegations dating…

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A jury awarded a survivor of abuse by Stephen Kiesle, a defrocked Catholic priest of the Oakland (California) diocese, $16 million yesterday.

The abuse occurred in a blue-collar parish called Our Lady of the Rosary in Union City, California. That parish, with an elementary school, hosted at least three other priests accused of abuse, including George Crespin, who supervised Kiesle and was later elevated to be the Vicar General and Chancellor of the Oakland Diocese. Crespin is named in multiple lawsuits.

While no amount of money can ever recapture a lost childhood or make up for a lifetime of trauma, the court system has sent a message that covering up and enabling the sexual assault of children cannot be tolerated.

Kiesle has over 60 cases pending in the Oakland diocese bankruptcy, and dozens of other victims. He isn’t the only bad guy who wore the clerical collar and committed abuse….

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A national garden proposed by survivors of clergy sexual abuse promises to foster healing not only for survivors but also for the Catholic Church as a whole in the nation’s capital.

“We can’t heal alone,” said Mike Hoffman, chair of the National Healing Garden Working Group. “We want to heal with you, with our Church, with the bishops, with the priests. We want to heal together,” added the executive director of the National Catholic Restorative Justice Initiative, a group dedicated to restorative justice for survivors of Catholic clergy abuse. 

East side of Caldwell Hall

Hoffman, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse by clergy, and Deacon Bernie Nojadera, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection, spoke with OSV News about the efforts behind the National Healing Garden, which will be on the grounds of The Catholic University…

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He told the Pope he had been sexually abused and said he was met with silence.

For years he was a public face to what had happened to so many others, bearing witness as a victim in what had long been a dark secret within the Catholic Church.

And finally, he went to court.

Decades after James Grein was brought to the Vatican in 1988 by then-Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick to meet Pope John Paul II, where he said he quietly disclosed that McCarrick had been sexually abusing him since he was a young boy — and years after he went public with his accusations — his attorney on Thursday announced that a settlement had been reached with the Diocese of Metuchen and the Archdiocese of Newark to resolve a lawsuit that has been playing out in the New Jersey courts since 2018.

The attorney, Mitchell Garabedian,…

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A Bergen County man who said he was abused for nearly two decades by former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick has settled his lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Newark and Diocese of Metuchen, receiving an award that his attorney described as in the “high six-figures.”

James Grein, who grew up in Tenafly, alleged that he was molested dozens of times in New Jersey and outside the state by McCarrick, including at a family wedding in Massachusetts. According to Grein, the abuse by McCarrick, a family friend, began in the 1970s when he was 11 years old. It allegedly lasted through 2000, when McCarrick ended his tenure as Archbishop of Newark to take the same position in Washington, D.C.

McCarrick died last April at 94. He was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 after a Vatican investigation determined he sexually molested adults as well as children.

The settlement…

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Neighbors worried about Geoff Drew living on a dead-end street filled with children in West Side, but his family and mother refused to house him

Former priest and convicted rapist Geoff Drew cannot live in his mother’s West Side home when he is released from prison in August, because his family has refused.

Ohio prison officials recently notified Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich of Drew’s request to live with his elderly mother. The address had not received final approval.

That prompted many neighbors to worry about the children who live and play in that quiet, dead-end street. An elementary school bus stop is right in front of his mother’s house.

“It really shook me because you’re putting him back into the same environment that he abused in,” neighbor Stacy Hudepohl said. “If you had somebody who robbed banks and had an addiction to robbing banks, you wouldn’t move them next…

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Lindsey Whiteside, a former youth pastor and coach accused of sexually abusing a teen, is seeking to delay her trial date.

Whiteside, an assistant girls’ basketball coach at DeSoto Central High School, was federally indicted on new charges for coercion of a minor and transporting a minor across state lines for sexual purposes.

According to a motion filed April 22, Whiteside’s attorneys want more time to talk with prosecutors and decide whether a trial is necessary.

They also cite Whiteside’s health issues, disclosing that she was recently hospitalized while incarcerated for heart-condition complications.

If the court grants the motion, the trial date for June 1, 2026 will be pushed back.

Prior to her new federal charges, Whiteside pleaded guilty to sexual battery of a minor.

Following the guilty plea, a judge sentenced Whiteside to three years of house arrest and seven years of probation.

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Drivers through Downtown Pensacola on Wednesday morning may have encountered some traffic, but instead of cars holding things up, it was a group of about 100 walkers, survivors and supporters bringing awareness to child sexual abuse.

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Scott Peyton has been waiting for a decision from the Vatican.

The Catholic deacon from Louisiana, who in May 2024 appealed his excommunication after leaving the church in the aftermath of his son’s abuse case, has spent about two years waiting for a ruling from Rome. 

The appeal remains unresolved, leaving his canonical status uncertain and extending a case that has drawn attention to the intersection of church law, pastoral practice and the handling of abuse-related disputes.

According to The Guardian, in May 2024 Peyton appealed formally against his excommunication to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. 

The outcome could determine whether the excommunication was applied in accordance with canon law and how similar cases may be approached in the future.

Peyton, who was raised Methodist, entered the Catholic Church as an adult. His conversion, formalized in 2001, was followed by what…

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There has been ‘substantial’ progress in the preparations for a hearing on the case of a priest facing a series of sex offences, Derry Magistrate’s Court heard.

Edward Gallagher (58) of Orchard Park, Lifford is charged with one count of attempted sexual communication with a child on dates between April 2 and April 17, 2025, and with seven further charges including inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch sexual activity, and possessing indecent images of children.

At Thursday’s sitting a prosecutor told the court that the Public Prosecution Service had received a full file but there was a large number of alleged offences to be directed.

She said that an adjournment of four weeks was required for a decision, and for file preparations before a date can be set for a Preliminary Enquiry.

Defence solicitor Derwin Harvey said that this was substantial progress.

The case…

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As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is encouraging parishes to offer special prayer services and Masses during National Child Abuse Prevention Month, which is observed each April, a victim is coming forward to share her experience of the abuse she suffered at the hands of someone who was supposed to represent the church.

“We trusted him. He was elevated in our family because he was a priest,” said Ellen Mrha. She said she was abused by Placid Kaczorek, a deceased Franciscan priest who is listed on the diocesan website under the Finding of Credibility of an Allegation of Sexual Abuse of a Minor by Another Diocese or Religious Order. Mrha said seeing his name on the list of credibly abused priests let her know she wasn’t alone.

“After he died, I had tried to get him on bishops’ accountability. Someone sent me a link and there it was….

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An Alameda County jury on Wednesday awarded $16 million in damages to a man who was sexually abused by his priest more than 50 years ago when he was a child, setting what will likely be a precedent used in hundreds of similar claims.

The verdict is believed to be California’s first in a Catholic clergy abuse case since a change in state law led to a flood of litigation in 2019. It is expected to have far-reaching consequences for the hundreds of cases against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland that have been tied up in bankruptcy proceedings for years.

“It tells everyone, including the bishops and the Roman Catholic officials … and other survivors that society, as represented by a jury, is tired of this,” said attorney Rick Simons, the lead plaintiffs’ liaison counsel. “They are yelling that it’s time for change, it’s to make places safe again, and…

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A jury in Oakland has awarded $16 million to a survivor in a civil lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, a verdict that could have broad implications for hundreds of similar clergy abuse cases.

The case was one of hundreds of lawsuits filed by survivors of clergy abuse against the diocese. Most of those cases have been on hold since the diocese filed for bankruptcy three years ago.

A judge allowed this case, along with a handful of others, to move forward. It is the first to reach a verdict.

The lawsuit was brought by a plaintiff identified as “John Doe,” who said he was sexually abused more than 50 years ago by former East Bay priest Stephen Kiesle. The jury found the diocese liable and awarded $16 million in damages.

The survivor’s attorney said the verdict brings some closure to his client and could encourage others to…

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After more than nine months of waiting, a family has received the full first-instance verdict in a case involving sexual abuse of a child allegedly carried out by a priest in a church.

The first instance court has found Catholic clergyman Krišjānis Dambergs guilty of a sexual crime against a minor, sentencing him to eight years in prison and two years of probation. The verdict will be appealed by both parties – the victims and the accused.

Riga City Court Judge Edīte Turkopule, who made this decision, indicated that the defendant’s guilt has been proven in the court’s opinion. The case was heard in a closed session, so the judge emphasized that she was not allowed to comment on anything that happened during the hearing.

Both parties plan to appeal the Riga City Court’s decision – the accused because he maintains he is innocent and the victim’s family because they feel the sentence is too light…

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Justice minister hopes funding will help bring a measure of closure to a dark chapter in province’s history

The provincial government has agreed to write a cheque for $45.8 million to help compensate those who were abused at Catholic-run institutions in Newfoundland and Labrador, with a judge expected to approve the tentative settlement on Friday in St. John’s.

It’s the latest reckoning in a dark chapter in the province’s history.

The tentative settlement was finalized earlier this week between the government and the lawyers representing hundreds of victims who were abused by Christian Brothers, clergy and other church leaders at institutions like the notorious Mount Cashel orphanage and Catholic-run, government-funded schools in eastern Newfoundland.

“It’s very significant, and it’s going to put money into the hands of survivors that we’ve been fighting for 30 years,” said lawyer Bob Buckingham, who represents 91 abuse survivors.

The courts ruled that the Roman…

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Bishop Barry Knestout of Richmond, Virginia, urged vigilance in child protection, and Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago posted a video message about the monthʼs observance on behalf of U.S. bishops.

Dioceses nationwide are observing National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Cardinal Blase Cupich and Bishop Barry Knestout are urging renewed vigilance and commitment to the protection of children.

In a video message on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Cupich reflected with gratitude on the bishops’ adoption of the 2002 “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” while Knestout separately emphasized April as a time for prayer, education, and recommitment to the well‑being of the young.

Cupich described the bishops’ enactment of the 2002 “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” in the video as “something important and that I’m really proud of.”

“When I look back at the 50 years…

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A Tennessee musician has been charged with 160 counts related to alleged child sex abuse, including rape, according to court documents.

Phillip Vaught was arrested over the weekend following an extensive and lengthy investigation by Hendersonville police.

A Sumner County indictment lists 160 counts against Vaught, which include sexual abuse of a child, rape and exploitation.

The charges, according to local news outlet WECT, include five counts alleging sexual abuse of a child, including aggravated rape and soliciting sexual exploitation. A further 76 counts allege that Vaught unlawfully and knowingly used a minor in the production of material that includes the minor engaging in sexual activity. Several other counts relate to allegations of possession of child pornography, amongst other charges.

Court records indicate the alleged crimes date back to 2015 and continued as recently as January 2026.

Vaught, a Nashville-based country rock singer, has been described as a crossover artist with Christian and gospel roots. His father…

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Lithuania’s government has launched legal action against a local authority for failing to remove the name of a disgraced Catholic cardinal from public streets.

Authorities filed a complaint with a regional administrative court against the Vilnius District Council after it missed a deadline to rename two streets honoring the late Cardinal Henryk Gulbinowicz, sanctioned by the Vatican over allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct. 

Government representative Gedmantė Eimontienė confirmed the move, saying the lawsuit would be withdrawn if the municipality complies and changes the street names. 

The council, dominated by the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania–Christian Families Alliance, had been instructed to act by mid-April but failed to reach a decision.  

Gulbinowicz was born and educated in the Vilnius region, which was part of Poland before World War II, and he returned to the area several times during his life. 

A planned vote in March was postponed pending the…

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In 2020, facing hundreds of sexual abuse claims, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. To pay for the projected bankruptcy settlement, the diocese decided to start closing and selling off churches.

This did not sit well with many parishioners, including Mary Pruski. She was a member of St. Bernadette’s Catholic Church in Orchard Park, New York. 

The diocese sought to shut down the church. But Pruski and a group of parishioners called Save Our Buffalo Churches said no. They helped organize an effort to keep the church open. Using canon law, the parishioners appealed the closure and won. As a result, St. Bernadette’s remains open today.

Save Our Buffalo churches says that closures of churches are permitted for grave cause only, and extinctive mergers of parishes for just cause. Grave cause does not include priest shortages, diocese financial issues, nor demographic changes which are temporary…

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A former Palmetto pastor will be spending the rest of his life behind bars after being found guilty on multiple sex crimes against children.

On Wednesday, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office announced that Jonathan Elwing was found guilty of all twelve of his criminal charges, which included capital sexual battery, the production of child sex abuse material (CSAM), and possession of CSAM.

“He was subsequently sentenced to three consecutive life sentences,” the sheriff’s office said.

Palmetto church in shock after pastor arrested on child porn charges

Elwing was first arrested in June 2024, after detectives learned that the defendant, a senior pastor at Palm View First Baptist Church in Palmetto at the time, used cryptocurrency to purchase CSAM.

Detectives searched the church and Elwing’s home on June 21, 2024, finding four explicit images of children on his cellphone. He resigned from the church before his arrest.

Upon further investigation,…

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A Manatee County jury convicted a former Palmetto pastor Tuesday of sexually abusing a 2-year-old and recording the abuse on his cellphone.

Jonathan Edward Elwing, 45, will spend the rest of his life in prison after jurors found him guilty of 12 charges, including capital sexual battery, lewd or lascivious molestation and crimes tied to the production and possession of child sexual abuse material.

Circuit Judge D. Ryan Felix sentenced Elwing immediately after the verdict, which came following about an hour of jury deliberations at the Manatee County courthouse in downtown Bradenton.

“This was a short trial. It’s a trial that’s short because the evidence was overwhelming. It was strong,” Felix said, sentencing Elwing to life in prison on all 12 counts. “I don’t have a lot to say preceding my sentence other than these acts were evil…the appropriate sentences will be life in prison. You don’t belong…

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Services could be numbered at a storied church on Staten Island’s North Shore, while the Archdiocese of New York fields concerns that the land could be sold to developers.

For more than a decade, the Korean Catholic Apostolate has leased the church property on Jackson Street at Beach Street in Stapleton — formerly St. John Baptist de la Salle R.C. Church.

This week, the Archdiocese of New York confirmed rumors circulating local community groups that it does not plan to renew the parish’s lease in June.

The Korean Catholic Apostolate could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

The Archdiocese of New York issued a statement about the property’s future.

“As is happening elsewhere, so-called national parishes, at one time established to serve the needs of a particular national or ethnic community, are being discontinued and the members of those parishes are being integrated into the local…

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An Alameda County jury began deliberating Tuesday in what may be the first Catholic clergy abuse case in California to reach trial.

The historic civil case centers on a 61-year-old man who said he was repeatedly molested as a 10-year-old altar boy by a Catholic priest in Union City more than 50 years ago. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland does not dispute that the abuse occurred or that it failed to properly supervise the priest. What remains for the jury to decide is how much money the man is owed for enduring the trauma.

The verdict, expected as early as Wednesday, could have far-reaching consequences not just for this plaintiff, but for hundreds of others still waiting for their abuse cases against Northern California clergy to be resolved.

“After years of stalling, and delays, and tricks of all kinds and procedural tactics to stall these cases, finally the first one…

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In short:

Queensland’s Labor Party will introduce a private member’s bill aiming to close a “loophole” preventing some victims of institutional abuse from seeking justice.

It comes after a 2024 High Court decision found the Catholic Church not vicariously liable for abuse perpetrated by one of its priests.

What’s next?

The opposition will introduce the private member’s bill to parliament this week.

Queensland’s Labor opposition will introduce a private member’s bill to parliament seeking to close a “loophole” that it says is “protecting paedophiles and the institutions that gave them power”.

In 2024, a High Court decision found the Catholic Church was not vicariously liable for the actions of a paedophile priest because he was not an ’employee’. His work arrangements were only similar to employment.

Since that decision the ACT and Victoria have passed legislation expanding the liability of churches, sporting groups and other organisations to include the actions of…

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In the aftermath of three sexual abuse convictions, an MLive investigation examined the history of Living Word Church in Midland County and its founder, televangelist Mark T. Barclay.

Reporting explored how the initially small church over nearly five decades grew into an international religious enterprise — and how allegations of abuse inside Barclay’s inner circle exposed divisions between church leadership, victims and former members.

Here are some takeaways from the MLive investigation:

THE CONVICTIONS

Beginning in 2023, three leaders within Living Word Church were charged and convicted of sexual abuse involving at least eight children.

The offenders included Associate Pastor Randy L. Saylor, who has followed Barclay since 1980; Randy Saylor’s son, church elder Brandon Saylor; and James P. Randolph, who is Barclay’s son-in-law.

Brandon Saylor and Randolph worked with the youth ministry, according to the church and former…

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Bellevue Baptist Church, one of the largest churches in the Mid-South, is investigating an allegation that a teenage boy was sexually abused by a church employee, according to a letter sent to members.

Church leaders said the allegation involves a minor who was 15 years old at the time and a 19-year-old part-time, hourly employee. The church said it reported the allegation to authorities immediately and that the employee has since been fired.

Leaders also said the employee is no longer serving in any role at the church and said their “hearts are with the student and family involved.”

The letter also acknowledged concerns from parents, stating that the church’s child-protection policies remain in effect and will continue to be reviewed.

Some in the community expressed concern following the news.

“Based on the negative stigma surrounded by really large churches, honestly, I’m not really surprised,” said Memphis resident Lexi Jackson….

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A former coach and physical education teacher at a Hall County private Christian school was arrested Thursday and charged with taking photos and videos under the clothing of female students.

Joel Ernest Lulinski, 52, of Cleveland, Georgia, allegedly committed the acts while working at Lanier Christian Academy in Flowery Branch, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO).

The victims were all female students at the school who were under 16 years old, the sheriff’s office said.

Lulinski is charged with 27 counts of the felony charge of the use or installation of a device to film underneath or through an individual’s clothing under certain circumstances, deputies said.

The investigation into Lulinski’s activities began April 2, when a victim reported her suspicions to school officials.

School officials immediately contacted a deputy, who was working extra duty at the school, according to the sheriff’s office.

The deputy shared the report with…

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Canada’s Residential School Survivors Face Critical Deadline to Save Testimonies

In a poignant development, survivors of Canada’s residential school system are embroiled in a fresh and urgent battle to prevent the destruction of their harrowing testimonies. First Nation communities across the nation are raising alarms, insisting that the federal government must take immediate action as thousands of first-hand accounts detailing systemic abuse and suffering face imminent erasure. This looming threat risks obliterating a central component of Canada’s ongoing reckoning with its colonial legacy, a process that has been described as confronting a policy of “cultural genocide”.

A Legacy of Pain and a Court-Ordered Deadline

The crisis stems from a 2017 Supreme Court of Canada ruling that mandated the expungement of all documents from the Independent Assessment Process (IAP) hearings after a period of ten years. The court argued that claimants had a reasonable expectation of confidentiality when they agreed to testify…

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If you made an Independent Assessment Process (IAP) or Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) claim for compensation for residential school abuse, the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement says that you can request a copy for yourself and save your IAP or ADR records for history, public education, and research.

Information here can help inform your decision.

About IAP and ADR Records

The IAP is the Independent Assessment Process for compensation claims of abuse at residential schools. The ADR was the earlier Alternative Dispute Resolution process.

These records include your name and all of the information you provided for your IAP or ADR claim, everything you said at your hearing, what the adjudicator said about you in their decision, and the compensation you received.

Your Choices

You have four options for your IAP or ADR records. You can:

• Do nothing and your records will remain confidential until they are destroyed on September 19, 2027.
• Get a copy for yourself to…

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Despite the findings nearly eight years ago, meaningful legislative change has yet to happen.

Survivors, advocates, and supporters from across Pennsylvania gathered at the Pennsylvania State Capitol, calling on lawmakers to pass long-awaited protections for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

“If they’re time-barred, then individuals don’t have an opportunity to seek justice, and then those individuals who have committed those crimes continue to go on without any accountability,” said Laquisha Anthony, executive director of WOAR, the Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence.

The rally also comes years after the landmark Pennsylvania grand jury report on Catholic Church sexual abuse, which exposed widespread abuse within the Catholic Church and detailed decades of institutional cover-ups.

Advocates say that despite the findings nearly eight years ago, meaningful legislative change has yet to happen.

“You also have to remember that there is a lot of money coming from powerful institutions, not just…

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Man, now 61, describes fear he acquired at 10, as infamous priest began raping him

More than 50 years ago, a notorious Catholic priest in Union City used the pretext of overnight church sleepovers to repeatedly molest a fifth-grade altar boy — forbidding him from telling another soul.

Now, an Alameda County jury must decide how much money that boy – grown into a 61-year-old father of four – is owed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland for enduring that abuse.

Closing arguments are scheduled to begin Tuesday in the the lawsuit, which could have far-reaching consequences on plodding settlement talks between the diocese and hundreds of other victims claiming years of similar abuse. The case is one of six so-called “bellwether” lawsuits, which were allowed to proceed toward trial after years of delays brough on the diocese’s decision to file for bankruptcy protection in 2023.

In hours of testimony Monday,…

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A house church that formed in Grandview after the International House of Prayer-Kansas City ousted founder Mike Bickle over a sex abuse scandal is calling for a worldwide week of prayer and fasting for his “heaven-ordained destiny.”

“We are joining globally on a 7 day fast specifically targeted upon Mike Bickle — to push back the press of darkness and agree with Heaven’s narrative over his life to come forth,” said an email sent over the weekend to Bickle supporters.

The fast is to go from May 1 through May 7, which is IHOPKC’s 27th anniversary.

The action has infuriated sex abuse survivors and former supporters of the 24/7 global prayer ministry and renewed concerns that the fallen charismatic leader is trying to orchestrate a comeback.

IHOPKC announced in December 2023 that it was “permanently” separating from Bickle after allegations were made public that fall that…

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A Clinton County pastor pleaded guilty to four of the 12 charges against him involving sex with a minor.

Silas Shelton, 49, pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual conduct and menacing by stalking charges.

In exchange, rape, gross sexual imposition and arson charges were dropped.

Shelton was listed online as the pastor of Blanchester Community Ministries on Main St. in Wilmington.

Some of the counts involved sex abuse of a teen stemming from incidents in 2019.

Shelton is also charged with having sex with a minor who was a member of his congregation in 2022.

In both cases, the minor was under the age of 16, according to court papers.

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The Nasarawa State Police Command says it has arrested a pastor, Asonye Isaiah, for allegedly defiling a teenager under the guise of performing spiritual cleansing in the Old Kwarshi I area of Abuja.

PUNCH Metro learnt on Sunday from a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Rahman Nansel, that the arrest followed a report by the victim’s guardian on Saturday.

According to Nansel, the guardian had reported that the suspect told her that her niece was possessed and required spiritual cleansing at a river.

He narrated that rather than carrying out the cleansing, the pastor allegedly took the victim to a hotel where he had carnal knowledge of her.

The statement read, “Operatives attached to Karshi Divisional Headquarters have arrested one Pastor Asonye Isaiah, 37, of Rock of Love and Adoration Ground, Old Kwarshi I, Abuja, for allegedly defiling a 16-year-old girl in Nasarawa State.

“The arrest followed a complaint…

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In recognition of Crime Victims’ Rights Week, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is reaffirming the Department of Attorney General’s commitment to protecting, empowering and advocating for crime victims across the state. Since taking office in 2019, Attorney General Nessel has prioritized crime victim services, expanding efforts to ensure survivors receive support and resources.

“The top priority of our criminal justice system should always be to support crime victims, both by pursuing justice in their cases and standing with them along the way,” said Attorney General Nessel. “This requires a system that treats survivors with fairness while respecting their dignity and privacy. My office remains committed to ensuring victims do not have to navigate the criminal justice system alone.”

In 2023, Attorney General Nessel launched the Address Confidentiality Program to protect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, or those who fear that disclosure of their physical address will increase…

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More than half of the cases are located in Colombia, and the rest in Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador, the United States, Mexico, and Venezuela

[PHOTO: Manuel Montoro, a victim of abuse within the Church, on April 13.- Paco Puentes]

In 2018, EL PAÍS launched an investigation into pedophilia within the Spanish Church and maintains an up-to-date database of all known cases. If you know of any cases that have not yet been reported, you can write to us at: abuses@elpais.es. For cases in Latin America, the address is: abusesamerica@elpais.es

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The investigation that EL PAÍS has undertaken in recent years into clerical pedophilia in the Americas, in which it has already published dozens of cases, continues with the delivery to the Vatican of a report containing 21 testimonies accusing a total of 24 priests, religious members, and laypeople from eight countries. Colombia accounts for more than half of the…

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A federal bankruptcy judge has established an absolute deadline of Sept. 11 for survivors of alleged clergy abuse to file claims for compensation against the Catholic Diocese of El Paso. The ruling, finalized during a bankruptcy hearing this past Tuesday, marks a critical milestone in the church’s Chapter 11 reorganization. The Diocese filed for bankruptcy earlier this year after facing dozens of lawsuits alleging clergy abuse in parishes across southern New Mexico between the 1950s and 1980s.

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In short:

• Queensland’s Labor Party will introduce a private member’s bill aiming to close a “loophole” preventing some victims of institutional abuse from seeking justice.
• It comes after a 2024 High Court decision found the Catholic Church not vicariously liable for abuse perpetrated by one of its priests.

What’s next?

• The opposition will introduce the private member’s bill to parliament this week.

Queensland’s Labor opposition will introduce a private member’s bill to parliament seeking to close a “loophole” that it says is “protecting paedophiles and the institutions that gave them power”.

In 2024, a High Court decision found the Catholic Church was not vicariously liable for the actions of a paedophile priest because he was not an ’employee’. His work arrangements were only similar to employment.

Since that decision the ACT and Victoria have passed legislation expanding the liability of churches, sporting groups and other…

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Syracuse, N.Y. – Syracuse Catholic Bishop Douglas Lucia spoke at a prayer service Friday evening dedicated to survivors of sexual abuse within the Catholic church.

Around 70 people gathered at LeMoyne College’s Panasci Chapel for an hour-long service that was organized by Hope, Healing and Solidarity, a Central New York-based organization dedicated to educating people about sexual abuse within the Catholic church and how to prevent it.

People prayed and listened to a testimony from sexual abuse survivor Jim Boone, who survived abuse by a priest when he was a teen nearly 60 years ago.

People also participated in a “Healing Ritual,” a symbolic candle-lighting ceremony meant to represent the light of Jesus guiding people to face their trauma and heal from it.

In February, a federal judge approved a plan that allowed the Catholic Diocese of Syracuse to emerge from bankruptcy. That plan includes a $176 million…

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A federal bankruptcy judge has established an absolute deadline of Sept. 11 for survivors of alleged clergy abuse to file claims for compensation against the Catholic Diocese of El Paso.

The ruling, finalized during a bankruptcy hearing this past Tuesday, marks a critical milestone in the church’s Chapter 11 reorganization.

The Diocese filed for bankruptcy earlier this year after facing dozens of lawsuits alleging clergy abuse in parishes across southern New Mexico between the 1950s and 1980s.

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The Idaho Supreme Court heard oral arguments Friday in a lawsuit brought by a Nampa man who alleges that he was sexually abused as a child by a Catholic priest in Moscow.

The man said he was raped at the age of 9 by Father Patrick O’Sullivan in his family home in 1968. O’Sullivan was a priest at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, where the man’s family attended and where he went to school. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise owns St. Mary’s and assigned O’Sullivan to the parish.

The man filed a claim of constructive fraud against the diocese and St. Mary’s in March 2021. To prove constructive fraud, a plaintiff has to establish that there was a relationship of trust and confidence, along with several other elements.

The diocese and St. Mary’s asked the district court for a summary judgment, which it granted. That means the judge…

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Months after Bethel Church announced Pastor Ben Armstrong had been placed on administrative leave, the church says it is bringing in additional third-party oversight and has confirmed the firm leading an independent investigation into sexual abuse allegations against the longtime ministry leader.

In an April 2 update, Bethel leaders said they are engaging an outside expert to review the church’s governance, leadership structure and internal culture, expanding their response beyond the ongoing inquiry into Armstrong, the church’s Prophetic Ministry director and former Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry Revival Group pastor.

The announcement comes two months after the church placed Armstrong on leave following the release of a YouTube video in which a former student publicly alleged clergy sexual abuse dating back to 2009.

“As a broader leadership team, we want to understand and address how we can do better in the future by bringing in…

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Sansue Bee Vang faces potential life sentence for molesting four girls and raping two women in his religious organization

A religious cult leader from Oroville, California, Sansue Bee Vang, was found guilty in February of eight counts of child molestation and three counts of rape after a seven-day trial. Vang’s sentencing, originally scheduled for Tuesday, has been pushed to June 9 to allow numerous victims to provide statements to the judge.

Why it matters

This case highlights the devastating impact of sexual abuse within insular religious communities, where leaders can exploit their position of authority to prey on vulnerable followers. It also raises questions about how such abuses can be prevented and addressed within minority faith groups.

The details

Vang created, founded and led a Hmong religious organization called Kev Ntseeg Leej Niam Kee Tiam Vaj Lis Thum in Oroville after starting it in Wisconsin. He then moved to Fresno,…

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Archbishop William Lori avoids having to testify at Archdiocese of Baltimore bankruptcy hearing

Clergy sex abuse survivors anticipated hearing testimony from Baltimore’s archbishop, but heard instead from other church officials at the latest hearing for the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s bankruptcy case.

A federal judge heard arguments Thursday on a motion filed by survivors and other creditors seeking a court-ordered freeze on the sale of parish and school properties during bankruptcy proceedings.

Attorneys for the survivors said transactions continue in violation of Chapter 11 rules, saying the archdiocese is offloading assets and hiding it from creditors.

The debtor, the archdiocese, said parishes and schools are a separate entity, and so the sales have nothing to do with the bankruptcy case. The archdiocese said some sales require approval from the Vatican, and all of them require a series of religious paperwork, including special decrees saying the property’s no longer…

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The Government will present a bill to Parliament so that financial compensation to victims of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church is exempt from IRS taxation announced the Ministry of Finance.

In a statement, the Ministry of Finance explains that this exclusion will also apply to financial compensation awarded for sexual abuse to minors and vulnerable adults “in other similar situations”.

The Portuguese Episcopal Conference announced at the end of March that each of the 57 victims of sexual abuse with an approved compensation request will receive between nine and 45 thousand euros, for a total of more than 1.5 million euros.

In a statement released at the time, CEP explained that, of the 95 requests received, 78 were considered eligible and 17 were immediately archived. Of those considered eligible, 11 were rejected, 57 requests have already been given the green light for compensation, worth 1,609.650 euros.

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Collin Killoren, the former Kaukauna area teacher accused of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), received his sentence on Thursday.

Killoren, 31, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by 10 years of extended supervision, court records show.

The former teacher at St. Ignatius Catholic School initially faced 30 counts of child sexual exploitation and possession of child pornography. However, 13 counts were dismissed, and he was sentenced on the remaining 17.

Killoren pleaded guilty in February and was arrested in April 2025.

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Now the parents say they feel “gaslighted” by the bishop of Charlotte and are outraged an internal probe has absolved the priest.

A Catholic priest at a North Carolina diocese has been accused of ambushing high school girls with what their parents call “unexpected” and “inappropriate” questions about sex while he was hearing their confessions.

But while Bishop Michael Martin, who heads the Diocese of Charlotte, has acknowledged the parents’ concerns, a diocesan investigation has concluded the priest did not cross the line when he asked the young women whether they had sex with their boyfriends or whether they masturbated.

“The Diocese of Charlotte looked into complaints raised about conversations that occurred during confession at Charlotte Catholic High School last December,” the diocese said in a statement this week to NBC affiliate WCNC of Charlotte. “No violations of our conduct policies were identified.”

That…

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For the second time in a decade, the St. Coleman’s community has been hit by six-figure embezzlement.

A former Catholic school principal in Miami will avoid jail time after being convicted of stealing $200,000 from the school where she worked – the second six-figure theft discovered at St. Coleman’s Church and School in the past eight years.

Former principal Lori St. Thomas received 10 years’ probation and is being required to pay back $121,548 to St. Coleman Catholic School, where she had worked for more than 20 years before being fired in 2024.

The sentence comes less than a decade after another $200,000 theft was discovered at the same parish: The parish pastor resigned in 2018 after the archdiocese announced that he had stolen the money.

A retired IRS investigator told The Pillar the case should serve as a warning to Catholic leaders to ensure that parishes, schools, and other Church institutions…

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Pressure on the Catholic Church is no longer just external, and is being brought to bear not only on the individual perpetrators, but also now on those who protected them.

On February 12, Catholic Bishop Artur Wazny faced reporters in the Polish industrial city of Dabrowa Gornicza and apologised for crimes that he did not commit.

“Today I confess our shame and our sorrow,” he said, addressing survivors of abuse by local clergy. “I apologise for every moment you lived through in a church that was meant to be a home, but became for you a place of darkness, a place of wounding.”

Bishop Wazny had taken office less than two years earlier, appointed by Pope Francis to a diocese he had not shaped and had no part in damaging. He apologised on behalf of those who had.

The diocese he inherited, Sosnowiec in the south of Poland,…

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Clergy sex abuse survivors claim the archdiocese is offloading assets to avoid paying creditors

Clergy sex abuse survivors in Baltimore have accused the Archdiocese of Baltimore of violating bankruptcy rules by continuing to sell parish and school properties during its Chapter 11 proceedings. The survivors argue the archdiocese is offloading assets and hiding them from creditors, while the archdiocese claims the properties are separate entities not subject to the bankruptcy case.

Why it matters

The case highlights the ongoing battle between the Catholic Church and clergy abuse survivors seeking compensation, as the archdiocese attempts to navigate the complex bankruptcy process and protect its assets from creditors’ claims.

The details

At a recent bankruptcy hearing, survivors and other creditors filed a motion seeking a court-ordered freeze on the sale of parish and school properties, arguing the transactions violate Chapter 11 rules. The archdiocese claims the properties are separate entities, and some…

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As transnational repression sees a global surge, an alarming case of sexual harassment has sparked outrage across Indonesia.

Authoritarian governments are increasingly reaching across borders to persecute their own citizens. That is according to the human rights group Freedom House, which made the allegation on Thursday. They noted this trend was especially high last year in Southeast Asia and East Africa.

In its annual report on transnational repression, the rights group identified China as the world’s “leading perpetrator” in twenty twenty-five. Vietnam and Russia followed closely behind. What’s more, six countries joined this long list of violators for the very first time. Those countries are Afghanistan, Benin, Georgia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. These new additions bring the number of nations known to carry out this specific kind of rights violation since twenty fourteen to at least fifty-four.

To put that in perspective, that forms more than…

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