ERIE (PA)
WKBN
May 8, 2018
By Chelsea Simeon
A Catholic priest in the Diocese of Erie is facing criminal charges for what prosecutors say was the sexual abuse of two young boys.
Father David Poulson, 64, of Oil City, is charged with indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors.
He was indicted by a grand jury and was arrested Tuesday morning.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro said one of the victims was 8 years old when the priest began abusing him, while the second boy was 15 when the abuse started.
The assaults took place more than 20 times, including at the rectory where one of the victims served as an altar boy, according to investigators.
Investigators said Poulson required the victim to make a confession to the sexual assaults in which he served as the priest receiving the confession.
“This was the ultimate betrayal and manipulation by Poulson. He used the tools of the priesthood to further his abuse,” Shapiro said.
Investigators said Poulson assaulted the other boy at a remote hunting cabin that he owned in Jefferson County.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.