LAFAYETTE (LA)
WDSU [New Orleans]
March 27, 2024
By Aubry Killion
A former Louisiana deacon says his own son was sexually abused by a priest. After the deacon left the church, he said he just learned he was excommunicated.
WDSU investigative reporter Aubry Killion uncovered a new video of the convicted priest being questioned.
Warning: the details in this story are graphic.
“It’s a graver sin to leave the church than it is to rape, molest, abuse, or take advantage of men, women, children. That’s an institution that I can’t be a part of,” Scott Peyton said.
Peyton resigned as a deacon for the Diocese of Lafayette last year.
He says he got a letter this month from the Diocese of Lafayette letting him know he was being excommunicated.
“They levied this punishment on me while the priest who molested my son, the day he walks out of prison, will be able to go to any Catholic Church, receive sacraments, will be able to do anything else. He will have more rights as a Catholic than I will,” Peyton said.
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Peyton’s son, who was an altar boy, was 16 when Father Michael Guidry sexually assaulted him in 2015.
Guidry pleaded guilty to molestation of a juvenile and, in 2019, was given a seven-year prison sentence.
WDSU Investigates obtained a deposition from 2021 when Guidry testified for a civil case under oath while incarcerated.
Guidry admits to buying the teen alcohol.
“Did you ask him what he wanted, and then you bought it, or did you just buy him things for him to try?” an attorney said.
“I asked him what he wanted,” Guidry said,
“What did you drink at the time?” an attorney said.
“I drink scotch,” Guidry said.
Guidry is questioned about the sexual assault at Guidry’s home. Portions of the deposition are too graphic for publication.
“While he still had his clothes on and you are rubbing his leg, how long did that go on?” an attorney said.
“A few minutes,” Guidry said.
“How long were you massaging him with his clothes off?” an attorney said.
“It must have been half an hour at least,” Guidry said. “No … massaging … 15 minutes maybe,” Guidry said.
“It never occurred to you that you should not be in a room with a naked teenage boy?” an attorney said.
“No, it never crossed my mind,” Guidry said.
“Why didn’t you stop?” an attorney said.
“I eventually did, but I was dying of curiosity, that is probably why. I should have stopped earlier, I am sure,” Guidry said.
Three years after the assault, Peyton’s son came forward, but Guidry said he had let others know his secret well before then.
“Did you feel like you had done anything? That you should go to confession to confess?” an attorney said.
“I did to my group,” Guidry said.
“You confessed it to your support group?” an attorney said.
“Yeah,” Guidry said.
“Who was in the support group when that happened?” an attorney said.
“I cannot tell you that,” Guidry said. “We agreed to make everything we share secret.”
Records show Peyton’s son stated Guidry gave him drinks until he passed out on the sofa. Records state he found his pants pulled down and caught Guidry sexually assaulting him.
The Diocese of Lafayette said after careful examination, they determined that the allegations made against Guidry, who formerly served as a priest of the Diocese of Lafayette, are credible.
Just recently, the Diocese of Lafayette argued to the Louisiana Supreme Court that a look-back window giving more survivors time to sue is not constitutional. The Supreme Court sided with the church.
“I was so discouraged with, one, the ruling but even more so disappointed in the time, the effort and the money that the church spent in fighting that law,” Peyton said.
The Supreme Court decision will likely have a massive impact on the hundreds of sex abuse claims against the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Area attorney Rick Trahant is representing many sex abuse survivors.
“Friday was the most devastating event throughout this whole saga that we have been involved in for many years,” Trahant said.
Trahant says the Supreme Court’s decision will likely prevent survivors from coming forward.
“This isn’t over with yet. We will be in the time frame required by the Louisiana Supreme Court to file an application for rehearing in the hopes we can sway one or maybe four,” Trahant said.
Peyton urges any sex abuse survivors to speak up.
“It is trying to destroy the faith of my family,” Peyton said. “I’m not going to let it happen.”
The Diocese of Lafayette told WDSU that the letter sent to Peyton is legitimate.
A spokesperson issued the following response to WDSU’s request for comment:
“Thanks for understanding we have no comment.”
The Archdiocese of New Orleans did not respond to calls and emails for this story at the time of this publication.