PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Daily Times
PHILADELPHIA – A former longtime priest in the Philadelphia Archdiocese has been arrested on charges of raping an altar boy, and District Attorney Seth Williams said it is both a sign of how the church has changed in terms of reporting crime, and another troubling sign of the way the issue used to be handled.
The Rev. Robert L. Brennan, 75 was arrested in Perryville, Md., Wednesday afternoon and faces an extradition hearing Thursday afternoon. Brennan has been living in Maryland since he was suspended following a 2005 grand jury report.
Williams said Brennan has been charged with the rape of an altar while he was an assistant pastor at Resurrection of Our Lord Parish in the Rhawnhurst section of Northeast Philadelphia from 1998 to 2001.
“A serial predator is now behind bars thanks to brave actions of this young man,” said Williams.
Williams said the alleged assaults included penetration and oral sex.
The district attorney congratulated current archdiocese officials for immediately notifying authorities when they learned of the allegations against Brennan. Williams also castigated former archdiocese officials, in particular Monsignor William Lynn, for failing to stop Brennan despite clear evidence of a troubling pattern of behavior.
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