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Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

Posted by David Clohessy on April 19, 2012

For the first time in the history of the Sacramento Catholic diocese, a judge has ruled that two adults can seek punitive damages in a clergy sex abuse and cover up case involving a priest who is now a fugitive from justice.

The plaintiffs in the civil case, John Doe and Jane Doe, say they were molested by Fr. Gerardo Beltran when they were 10 and 11 years old, respectively. The alleged crimes happened between 1989 and 1991 when they were altar servers at St. Joseph’s Parish in Sacramento.

According to the lawsuit, Fr. Beltran – a native of Mexico – was known to the diocese to be a sexual predator as early as 1988, and had been sent for counseling and treatment before being moved to St. Joseph’s. In the abuse trial…