KOMO
April 1, 2008
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/17214827.html
[with video]
LA CONNER, Wash. — A former priest who admitted to having molested dozens of boys in Eastern Washington is facing new accusations in the western part of the state where he now lives.
Patrick O'Donnell, who worked as a priest in the Spokane area for years, now lives in La Conner. The confessed serial pedophile no longer works as a priest, but his presence in the community has made some local parents nervous.
 |
Tammy Henricksen-McKenzie has filed for a restraining order against O'Donnell.
"He's admitted to molesting children. This man should be in prison for life," she said. "Stop him from approaching our kids because we don't want any of our kids to get hurt."
In more than nine hours of videotaped depositions, O'Donnell said in the 1970s he molested so many young boys in the Spokane area that he lost count. He did say, however, he believes the number to be higher than 20.
O'Donnell said he molested young boys on camping and boating trips, and sometimes brought boys into his bedroom at the church rectory. He said he sometimes got dozens of boys naked at local lakes and at the church swimming pool.
But O'Donnell testified that he wasn't trying to prey on these boys, and that he initially befriended them with good intentions.
"Trying to be a good leader and a good person most of the time. Then I would kind of fall," he said.
In 1976 the Spokane Diocese sent O'Donnell to Seattle for treatment, but he resumed his old habits when he returned to Spokane.
He testified he stopped molesting kids in 1980 and says he hasn't abused anyone since. He was suspended from the priesthood in 1986.
O'Donnell has since moved to a gated community in La Conner where parents have accused him of eyeing their children.
KOMO 4 News went to O'Donnell's house and found him willing to talk, but unwilling to show his face to the camera.
When asked whether he could understand why local parents were concerned, O'Donnell said "I can, because people are ignorant."
O'Donnell says even though he has confessed to heinous crimes that involved children, he should not be seen as a threat.
"There's no reason to be concerned about me," he said.
But McKenzie claims O'Donnell has already established himself as a danger. She says he approached her children while they were standing at the bus stop.
But the former priest insists he didn't eye anyone's children, and that he has not done anything wrong.
"Absolutely not," he said.
For now, McKenzie holds her application for a restraining order, hoping it's enough to keep O'Donnell away from her children.
"He hasn't served a day because the statute of limitations has run out. He's a ticking time bomb. This man can molest children again," she said.
At the end of his most recent deposition last November, O'Donnell finally offered his first public apology.
"I just want everybody to know I'm very sorry for my misbehavior, my bad actions, for anything that hurt or might have hurt anybody - victims, other people involved, in any way. I feel very bad and I'm sorry," he said.
O'Donnell is due back in court later this month. He says he plans to fight any accusations that allege he has approached children after moving out to La Conner.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.