PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive
May 9, 2018
By Ivey DeJesus idejesus@pennlive.com
The bishop who was at the helm in the Diocese of Erie during the years in which state investigators say a priest was abusing two boys, even as the diocese knew about it, is saying there was no cover-up of sexual abuse.
Bishop Emeritus Donald Trautman on Wednesday said in a written statement that in 2010, he had received a fourth-hand allegation about Father David Poulson’s contact with a young adult man.
“There was no allegation of physical abuse or of contact with a minor,” Trautman said. “I contacted diocesan counsel. I then immediately tried to contact the young man. There was no response after many attempts of sending letters and telephoning. From the time of the complaint, until I retired, the diocese received no other complaints about David Poulson.”
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Tuesday announced the arrest of Poulson, 64, of Oil City, on charges he sexually assaulted two boys over the course of many years.
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