Priest Who Reported 18-year-old to Police Placed on Leave

By Christine Dempsey
Hartford Courant
July 15, 2013

http://articles.courant.com/2013-07-15/news/hc-priest-who-reported-18yearold-to-police-placed-on-leave-20130715_1_arrest-warrant-allegation-metropolitan-learning-center

A priest who led police to an 18-year-old who then was arrested on bomb-making charges has been placed on leave by the Catholic Church after being accused of sexually abusing a minor, the Hartford Diocese said Monday.

Maria Zone, spokeswoman for the diocese, said the state Department of Children and Families has received a complaint of sexual abuse of a minor involving the Rev. Paul Gotta, administrator of St. Philip and St. Catherine churches, both in East Windsor.

Police also are investigating the allegation, she said in a written statement.

“The Archdiocese of Hartford has a protocol in place when such an allegation is made,” Zone said in the statement. “That protocol has been followed and Father Gotta has been placed on administrative leave until the matter is resolved through the legal system.”

“The Archdiocese of Hartford was surprised and disturbed to learn that such an allegation has been made,” she said. “The Archdiocese of Hartford condemns the type of misconduct that has been alleged and extends its sincere sympathies to those adversely affected by it. If anyone has information relevant to this matter, please contact the East Windsor Police Department. The Archdiocese will continue to cooperate with the police in its ongoing investigation.”

East Windsor police said they couldn’t comment on an ongoing investigation.

According to court documents, Kyle Bass, of East Windsor, had talked to the priest about pulling a prank at his graduation at the Metropolitan Learning Center in Bloomfield, saying he would “make sure they would remember he was there.”

Bass was arrested June 7 and charged with two counts of criminal attempt to manufacture bombs, illegal possession of explosives, possession of a silencer, possession of fireworks and breach of peace.

His case was transferred from Superior Court in Enfield to Hartford, where he is scheduled to appear Aug. 1. Bass remains in custody with bail set at $750,000.

Police have said more arrests are possible in the investigation.

Gotta reached out to local and federal authorities to talk about several worrisome comments made by Bass, according to an arrest warrant.

Bass, 18, who knew how to make explosives from household products, had said the gunman in the shootings in Newtown could have made better use of his semi-automatic firearms by making them fully automatic, the warrant states. He also said the suspects in the bombings at the Boston Marathon could have used something smaller and more effective than a pressure cooker, the warrant says.

Gotta also told authorities about a collection of guns at Bass' residence that had belonged to Bass' grandfather.

Police searched Bass' home on Winkler Road on June 4, and found two shotguns, three rifles, ammunition, pipes, silencers made of soda bottles, a shotgun made of steel pipes, fireworks, tennis balls with openings cut into them, four rolls of safety fuse, a disassembled timer, a bag labeled "Indian Blackhead Aluminum Powder," a bag labeled "Charcoal Airfloat Thunder Valley" and a bucket containing a white powder, the warrant says.

After the chemicals were analyzed, investigators determined Bass was creating an explosive mixture, the warrant states.

Bass told police the prank he wanted to pull at graduation involved welding the shell of a Volkswagen Beetle to the school flagpole, and that he intended to spray a foul-smelling liquid on his gloved hand so the odor would transfer to the principal's hand when Bass shook it while accepting his diploma, the warrant says.

Bass also said he and Gotta had discussed making a shotgun, which he tested in the backyard in the presence of the priest, the warrant says. He told police he intended to use the silencer while killing a woodpecker that kept waking him up.

Gotta told police that, in 2011, Bass showed him how to mix white pellets and sugar to make fire, explaining that it was a good way to get back at people, and also showed him how to make napalm by soaking Styrofoam and gasoline, the warrant states.

In May, Gotta asked East Windsor police to warn Bass to stay away from St. Phillip's and St. Catherine's. Bass had told Gotta to bring his gun when walking his dog because, "You never know when someone will jump out of the bushes and shoot you or your dog," the warrant states.

Gotta also found three bullets on his doorstep, the warrant states.