UNITED STATES
KVOR
[Robert Van Handel’s Sexual History]
(NEW YORK) — The lurid confessions of a priest who sexually abused young boys in his parish choir and the seminary offer a glimpse into one of the minds behind the massive sex abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church.
Former priest Robert Van Handel’s 27-page sexual history, which he wrote for a psychologist between 1993 and 1994, details his history of abuse and fantasies of abusing boys age 8 to 11. The document was released as part of a settlement between the Franciscan order of priests and 25 abuse victims.
In the essay, Van Handel, now 65 and a registered sex offender in Santa Cruz County, describes wrestling, tickling and fondling young boys whom he invited to attend one-on-one choir practices, admits to molesting high school boys at a seminary where he taught, and says he took pictures of young boys wearing few clothes or showering.
“It was clearly my choir and the fulfillment of my fondest dreams,” he wrote. “Now I understand that it was also a constant supply of attractive little boys.”
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