CHICAGO (IL)
WGN
by Sean Lewis
Anchor/Reporter
A Chicago priest, accused in December of sexual abuse, faces a new allegation today from a man who says he witnessed another incident of abuse 15 years ago.
Father Michael O’Connell stepped down as pastor at St Alphonsus Parish in Lakeview when the original allegations were made in December. And just last week, after an investigation, O’Connell was reinstated by the archdiocese when the Cook County Sheriff called the allegations unfounded.
But now the Cook County Sheriff’s Dept says it has now reopened their investigation.
Today new allegations came from a 33-year-old man who claims that he witnessed Father O’Connell sexually abuse a young teenage boy in the locker room of a south suburban gym in 1999. O’Connell, he says, had his hand down the front of the other boy’s pants.
At the time, O’Connell was priest at Our Lady of the Woods parish in Orland Park.
Priest accused of sexual misconduct cleared, resumes role at churchThe man now lives out of state but came forward because he say he believes Father O’Connell to be dangerous.
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