MANCHESTER (NH)
WMUR-TV, ABC-9 [Manchester NH]
March 12, 2026
By Kelly O'Brien
A settlement has been reached between the Diocese of Manchester, a priest and an alleged victim of sex abuse.
The victim in the case is a 51-year-old man who said he was abused in the early 1980s by a priest in New Hampshire.
That victim was 7 years old when the abuse began and has since moved to another state, but his attorney said that what happened to him in New Hampshire has left him with lifelong scars.
“It took so much courage and strength to come forward,” said attorney Mitchell Garabedian. “I admire him so much.”
Garabedian, who has represented victims of clergy sexual abuse for decades, said that last year, he was contacted by the man, who detailed two occasions when he said he was sexually assaulted by the Rev. Mark Fleming in the rectory of the St. John the Evangelist Church in Hudson.
The man said the abuse spanned from 1982 to 1983.
“He was terrified,” Garabedian said. “And that was sexual abuse on two separate occasions. It changed his perspective on life forever.”
The Diocese of Manchester said it removed Fleming from the ministry in 1983 after a report of sexual abuse and reported it to the state. It said it received this victim’s report in May last year.
The diocese said it provides financial assistance for victims harmed by its clergy members and has established policies and procedures to protect youth.
“He was found credible, and they settled this matter in the low six figures,” Garabedian said.
Garabedian said the victim may never fully heal, but he feels like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders and is now able to try and move forward.
“He’s on to the next chapter in this sad affair,” Garabedian said. “He’s now working in therapy. He’s trying to keep up, keep the confidence that he gained by coming forward.”
Garabedian said he’s not aware of where Fleming is now. He is not listed as deceased on the diocese’s website.