MINNESOTA
Fox 9
[with video]
video report by Leah Beno
Abbot John Klassen, of St. John’s Abbey, described the sexual abuse allegations leveled against a former St. John’s Prep School headmaster “unsubstantiated” as he defended the integrity of Rev. Timothy Backous — and the victim’s family says that’s disturbing.
The St. Cloud Times reported that the accusations against Backous — which claim he had inappropriate sexual contact with a former member of the St. John’s Boys’ Choir — surfaced in a letter dated May 31. That letter, sent by St. Cloud residents Chris and Kathy McDermid, claims their son was repeatedly sexually assaulted while on a choir trip to Europe in 1990 when he was just 12.
“They need to get his name on the list of accused because he was accused and he did abuse our son,” Kathy McDermid told Fox 9 News.
Although they tried to file a police report, the McDermids say the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office told them the alleged abuse was out of their jurisdiction.
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