Lawsuit Accuses Priest of Committing Sex Acts During Video Chats With Teen Boy

ALLENTOWN (PA)
NBC Philadelphia

June 27, 2018

By David Chang

The lawsuit states the teen boy took screenshots of some of the encounters.

A priest has been removed from the Allentown diocese after a lawsuit accused him of persuading a teen boy to commit sex acts during video counseling sessions.

Reverend Monsignor Francis Nave allegedly contacted the 16-year-old boy in 2012 through a gay social media website. Nave was the pastor of the Sacred Heart parish in Bath, Pennsylvania at the time.

The lawsuit alleges the teen was depressed and Nave told him it was his job as a Catholic priest to help people and listen to their problems. Monsignor Nave then began to mentor the teen, assuring him that he just wanted to be his friend and help him, according to the lawsuit.

Nave then allegedly persuaded the teen to speak to him via Skype or Facetime during their counseling sessions. During some of those sessions, Nave took off his clothes and masturbated on camera and told the teen to do the same, the lawsuit alleges.

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