NEW JERSEY
Essex News Daily

By: Sean Quinn – Staff Writer

WEST ORANGE — Speak with Bob Hoatson for just a few minutes and it becomes immediately apparent that he is a genuinely nice man. Immensely friendly and down-to-earth, Hoatson just seems like the type of guy who would shovel your porch without being asked or check your house while you were away on vacation — selfless. It is easy to imagine him working for the Catholic Church, which he did for more than 30 years.

What is not evident is the fact that Hoatson has experienced many personal tragedies throughout his life. He said he was sexually abused by more than one clergyman as an Irish Christian Brother and later as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Newark, and is now recalling repressed memories of being molested by a school custodian as a young boy. In 2011, he…