PENNSYLVANIA
WKBN
By Jonathan Stroshine
Published: August 5, 2014
LAWRENCE CO., Pa. (WKBN) – A spokesperson for the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese confirmed Tuesday that Priest John Fitzgerald has been placed on administrative leave following an allegation that he sexually abused a minor in the late 1990s.
The church turned the case over to law enforcement right away, according to Father Ron Lengwin, saying that one event involved in the allegation happened in Allegheny Co. and another in Lawrence Co.
The diocese has asked both the Lawrence County and Allegheny County Distrcit Attorneys to investigate, according to KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh.
Lengwin said he was not sure why the allegation is being brought to light now, but that it is not uncommon for sexual abuse allegations to come out after the fact.
The Diocese will gather a group of experts including lawyers, therapists and more to decide if Fitzgerald can serve as a priest when the time is right, according to Lengwin.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.