FLORIDA
WESH
[with video]
ORLANDO, Fla. –
A lawsuit was filed Monday against the Catholic Diocese of Orlando by a former altar boy who said he was molested by a priest when he was 14 years old.
The attorney for the man, who is a naval officer, said the molestation took place in 1978.
“What we allege here is that the diocese failed to protect one of its altar boys because it had a priest who was known to be a sexual predator,” attorney Adam Horowitz said.
The Rev. William Authenreith was around 41 or 42 years old at the time of the alleged incident, and Horowitz said the abuse happened to several children.
“He allegedly abused children at parishes where he had served for a period of decades,” said Horowitz. “It occurred in the sacristy, where the priests and the altar boys prepare for church services. It happened more than one time.”
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