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Lawsuit: Priest's sexual abuse of Dededo boy under the guise of horseplay, affection

By Haidee Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
May 16, 2019

https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/local/2019/05/16/lawsuit-priests-abuse-dededo-boy-masked-horseplay-affection/3690346002/

[with video]

A priest sexually abused a Catholic school student multiple times in the early '80s "under the guise of horseplay and affection," according to a lawsuit filed in local court on Thursday.

The plaintiff in the sex abuse case is identified in court documents only by the pseudonym A.A. to protect his privacy, according to the lawsuit.

A.A. said then-Father Raymond Cepeda abused him on school and church grounds around 1982 to 1984. The plaintiff is a former student of Santa Barbara Catholic School in Dededo and is a former altar boy in the village church.

"Father Ray sexually molested A.A. on numerous occasions while A.A. was a student at Santa Barbara. Father Ray's sexual predation and molestation would occur in the context of supposed horseplay and affection between Father Ray and A.A. However, in reality, the horseplay and affection was a ruse to grope and fondle A.A.'s penis," the lawsuit says.

A.A., represented by attorney Anthony C. Perez, named as defendants the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Inc. and Sisters of Mercy of the Americas South Central Community on Guam Inc., among others, and up to 20 other unnamed defendants.

The Archdiocese of Agana filed for bankruptcy protection to try to settle more than 200 Guam clergy sex abuse claims.




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