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	Priest Abuse Case Goes to Trial By Sam Hemingway Burlington Free Press May 4, 2008 http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080504/NEWS02/805040310/1007/NEWS02 A former altar boy at Christ the King parish in Burlington claims the Rev. Edward Paquette fondled him during games of "pony ride" and "carry ride" at the church in the late 1970s, according to court papers in a case set for trial Monday. The man, now an unemployed construction worker from Lakewood, Colo., also told lawyers in a deposition, or pre-trial interview, that the molestations occurred about once a week and that Paquette was sexually aroused while the activity was taking place. "My worst memory is one incident where I was changing," the man said at one point during the deposition. "I was instructed to take my pants off. I still had my underwear on; I still had the white altar boy collar on. And he approached me ... and gave me a carry ride for one of the longer periods of time." The Burlington Free Press does not identify the alleged victims of sexual crimes without their consent. Pending a last-minute court settlement, the man's case will mark the second time that one of the 32 priest-abuse lawsuits filed at Chittenden County Superior Court since 2002 has reached trial. Five others were settled out of court. Of the 32 lawsuits, 19 involve claims that Paquette molested altar boys during a six-year stint as a parish priest in Rutland, Montpelier and Burlington. The present case, like the others involving allegations against Paquette, seeks financial damages from the state's Roman Catholic diocese for putting Paquette in a position to molest the alleged victim. According to internal church documents, diocesan officials were told that Paquette had molested boys while working as a priest in Massachusetts and Indiana but hired him anyway after becoming convinced he would not engage in further misconduct. Paquette's priestly duties were suspended in 1978 after church officials received complaints about his conduct from parents at Christ the King Church. He is retired and now lives in Westfield, Mass. The diocese does not dispute the Paquette molestation claims, but contends it shouldn't be held liable now for alleged incidents that occurred 30 years ago. Paquette is not listed as a defendant in the man's lawsuit. The man, in his deposition, said he was one of a number of altar boys in the 10-year-old age range whom Paquette fondled at the church. The pony ride involved his holding a boy on his lap, while the carry ride involved a boy being swung in the air. In both cases, Paquette allegedly had his hands on the boys genitals as the activity took place. "The carry chair ... I believe was his favorite," the man said in the deposition. "He loved to do that, where he would wrap his hands around your genitals while you had the altar boy garb on, and swing you, and giggle like a little child." He said he was afraid to tell his parents or anyone else about what Paquette was doing and even urged an altar boy who had become angry with Paquette's conduct to keep quiet about it. "We looked up to this individual as our pathway to heaven, and he was doing things to us," the man said. "He was friends with our parents, and for us to stir the pot, if you will, was very frightening for us." He said he talked with other altar boys at the time about what Paquette was doing to them, but did not realize the impact of Paquette's molestation of him on his adult life until recently. The man said he filed his lawsuit after hearing in 2005 that a fellow altar boy, Michael Gay of South Burlington, had sued Paquette and the diocese. Gay later settled his case with the diocese for $965,000. Contact Sam Hemingway at 660-1850 or e-mail at shemingway@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com
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