Former Somerville Priest Accused of Sex Abuse Dead

By Auditi Guha
Wicked Local Somerville
September 27, 2012

http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/news/x189740941/Former-Somerville-priest-accused-of-sex-abuse-dead#axzz27grf3AVq

Rev. Paul A. LaCharite, 65, formerly of St. James Episcopal Church in Somerville, walked out of Somerville District Court with his lawyers after his arraignment on Monday.

Somerville —

A former Somerville priest who was recently accused of child molestation reportedly committed suicide on Wednesday.

"With sorrow I received news this evening that the Rev. Paul LaCharite has died, an apparent suicide," said Bishop M. Thomas Shaw of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts in a statement on Sept. 26. "This is a shocking tragedy, and I've asked our diocesan community to pray for everyone concerned."

Formerly of St. James Episcopal Church in Somerville, LaCharite, 65, was affiliated with the Old North Church in Boston and was arrested Sept.10 on one count of assault to rape a child under 14 and three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child.

Boston Police confirmed that it was “an apparent suicide” and the body was found at 157 New Sudbury St. at about 7:40 p.m. on Sept. 26.

“Father LaCharite is innocent of these charges,” said his defense attorney David Meier to reporters outside the Somerville District Court after his arraignment Sept. 10 where he denied the charges and was issued a $10,000 bail.

The police report has been impounded but according to the Middlesex District Attorney’s office, the victim and his family were long time parishioners at the Somerville church where LaCharite was working from 1989 to 2005. In the 1990s, beginning when the victim was in elementary school, the defendant, a priest at the church, allegedly began inappropriately touching the victim in his office. The defendant’s conduct is alleged to have progressed over a 10-year period to include several indecent assault and batteries and assaults with the intent rape a child, with the abuse finally ceasing when the victim was a teenager due to the defendant leaving St. James.

The victim came forward to authorities to reveal the defendant’s alleged long-time abuse of him earlier this month. An investigation was immediately conducted into the allegations and an arrest warrant issued.

Meier said his client voluntarily appeared in the Somerville police station to answer to the charges and pointed out that it stems from allegations from 15-16 years ago. The victim, who is now 26 and married with a child, reportedly approached LaCharite two years ago for his daughter’s baptism.

“He’s having a very difficult time,” Meier said in court earlier this month. “We intend to vigorously defend these charges.”

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