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	Sudbury Man Accuses Priest of Sex Assault By Bob Vaillancourt The Sudbury Star May 5, 2009 http://www.thesudburystar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1553590 COURT: Alleged sexual assault dates back more than 35 years Father Bernard Cloutier was a "trusted" friend when the Roman Catholic priest molested him in 1971, a man told a Sudbury court Monday R. L., as the courts have referred to him, is one of five people who have filed sexual assault complaints against Cloutier. He said the priest had offered to massage an aching foot. However, the massage led to Cloutier fondling him, he testified. R. L., whose name cannot be published because of a court order, said the incident took place at the Windy Lake Provincial Park during a long weekend in the summer of 1971. Cloutier has pleaded not guilty to 16 sex charges laid against him over alleged incidents involving the five males from 1970 to 1983. The charges include seven counts of gross indecency, seven counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault. The trial, before Superior Court Justice Paul Kane, is expected to take two weeks. The first victim told the court he and a friend had arranged a ride to the park with Cloutier, who dropped the boys off, but said he would be back later to check on them. R. L. testified Cloutier was his parish priest in Chelmsford. When Cloutier returned to the park, he brought a case of beer for the two, telling them they could only have four beers each per day if the case was to last the holiday weekend. R. L. said he had injured his foot earlier in the day and was sitting in front of the tent with his foot raised. His friend was off visiting someone else in the park. He testified he told the priest his foot was throbbing with pain and said Cloutier offered to massage it. "He told me he used to be a physical therapist. 'I'll give you a massage to make the pain go away.'" "I thought there was nothing wrong with that," said R. L. and the two went into the tent. R. L., who was 17 or 18 at the time, said he was lying on his stomach on a sleeping bag in only his underwear when he felt Cloutier's hand slide under his briefs and fondle his privates. Initially, the massage was on his foot, said R. L. "It felt really good. I started feeling really relaxed. Then I felt his hand rubbing my penis. "I trusted him, I knew him. I believed in him. To me he was a friend," testified a tearful R. L. The contact lasted 10 or 15 seconds said R. L. "I realized what he was doing and I stopped it." For a long time, said R. L., he blamed himself, thinking he may have given Cloutier the wrong idea. "For some reason I was blaming myself. I don't know. Maybe I gave him the wrong impression." He didn't immediately tell anyone of the incident, said R. L. "Who would believe me?" he asked. R. L. said he came forward when he saw a newspaper article about Cloutier being charged with sexual crimes involving others in 2006. He came forward because "I just want my life back. I want peace. I want closure. I've had enough suffering. I don't want to suffer no more." In an opening address to the court, prosecutor Diana Fuller said after all but one of the alleged incidents, Cloutier was transferred to another parish within the church's Sault Ste. Marie Diocese. Fuller said some of the alleged incidents took place at the Windy Lake campground, some at a parish rectory where Cloutier was hosting a party and at a weekend sleepover at another rectory where Cloutier told the two complaints they would have to take turns sleeping with him because there weren't enough beds. On a number of occasions, Fuller said, Cloutier offered the complainants alcohol. She said police launched an investigation into the complaints in the late 1980s and were meeting some of the complainants at a family's home when Cloutier and then Bishop Gerard Dionne showed up and effectively took over the meeting. The police probe died at the time, but was brought back to life when some of the complainants again came forward, Fuller said.
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