GEORGIA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com )
Now that a Life Teen International youth director has been sentenced for child porn, the attention shifts from the offender to his employer. What, if anything, is Life Teen International doing to seek out others who may have seen, suspected or suffered child sex crimes by Kevin Hickey?
[Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
It’s not enough for church officials to let law enforcement do its job and then pretend it’s all over. Life Teen International hired Hickey. By doing so, they gave him access to children. And they gave him respect and credibility. Some of the participants, volunteers and staff in Life Teen International may have been hurt or their loved ones may have been hurt.
And some of the participants, volunteers and staff in Life Teen International may have ignored or concealed some of Hickey’s crimes.
Life Teen officials must take aggressive action now to reach out to others who may be in pain and to help police and prosecutors by determining whether any current or former staff might be prosecuted for failure to report suspected abuse, destruction of evidence, intimidation of witnesses, or similar offenses.
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