CALIFORNIA
Jeff Anderson & Associates
By: Jeff Anderson
3/12/12
This week, former Orange County priest Denis Lyons is heading to trial on four criminal counts of lewd acts on a child under 14. According to press reports, the trial has been delayed for more than two years—despite the objections of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, which has been eager to try the case and get justice for victims. The alleged crimes took place at Costa Mesa’s St. John the Baptist Parish, which also houses an elementary school.
These criminal charges are only the latest in Lyons’ long history of suspicious and predatory behavior. Secret internal church files showed that Orange Diocese officials knew the Irish-born priest had allegations of abuse dating back to the 1970s, but instead of calling the police and helping victims, they sent Lyons to a church-run treatment center for child molesting clerics.
Despite mounting evidence, Lyons remained an active pastor with complete access to children. He was later transferred to St. Edward’s Parish in Dana Point, where he worked with John Lenihan, another former Orange County priest arrested for molesting minors. The Orange County Register called the parish “scandal-laden,” with at least four former priests arrested for sexually abusing children.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.