ABUSE TRACKER

Mediator and court-appointed neutral Simone K. Lelchuk, Esq., has published a new article in The Judges Journal (Winter 2026) examining the evolving role of court-appointed neutrals in institutional abuse cases and the structural importance of well-designed processes in high-volume, high-sensitivity litigation.

The article, “The Critical Role of Court-Appointed Neutrals in Mass Institutional Sexual Abuse Cases: Why Every Voice Matters,” addresses the continued prevalence of institutional abuse allegations and the need for courts and organizations to respond with greater procedural clarity.

“Abuse affecting institutions across all sectors shows no signs of abating,” Lelchuk writes.

“Although organizations may grow weary of addressing these allegations, they remain an enduring reality that must be met with care and accountability. Reframing the response as an exercise in institutional learning – focused on continuous improvement – can reenergize leadership and strengthen how organizations respond when allegations emerge.”

In the article, she notes:
“Clarity can be a powerful…

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The digital revolution has reshaped childhood across Europe. Social media platforms, messaging applications, online games, and artificial intelligence tools have opened new horizons of learning, creativity, and communication.

Yet alongside these opportunities, a grave and escalating threat has emerged: the sexual abuse and exploitation of minors in digital spaces. What was once confined largely to physical environments now spreads instantly across borders, amplified by technology and sustained by complex online networks.

Recent data from the European Union highlights the scale of the crisis. In 2023, more than 36 million reports of online child sexual abuse material were recorded—the highest number ever documented. A significant proportion of this content has been hosted or detected within European jurisdictions, positioning the region as a central node in the global circulation of illegal material. While improved monitoring systems have increased detection rates, the dramatic rise also reflects the growing sophistication and reach of abuse…

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Mountain View Community Church, a Virginia multisite church affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), is coming under scrutiny for employing a man convicted of child sex abuse. Joshua Bowen, who serves as director of the church’s Orange campus, was convicted in 2005 of the statutory rape of a 14-year-old. 

At the time of the offense, Bowen was a 24-year-old teacher, and the victim was a student. Bowen pleaded guilty to second-degree statutory sex offense in exchange for several other charges being dropped. 

According to court documents obtained by The Roys Report (TRR), Bowen was sentenced to 48-67 months and was credited with time served for “confinement…while awaiting disposition in this matter.”

Court documents indicate that the fact that Bowen “voluntarily acknowledged wrongdoing…at an early stage of the criminal process” was a factor in his sentencing, as well as his “good character,”…

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The Brief

• Eric Crawford has resigned as pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Haslet after his son, a registered sex offender, was revealed to have been working at the church and related school.
• The church, which did not immediately name a replacement for Crawford, said they will review their security procedures to prevent a similar event from happening again.
• Caleb Crawford was arrested in late Feb. 2026 for failing to comply with his yearly registration as a sex offender.

A Haslet pastor has resigned after his son, a sex offender, was arrested for failing to register his status and was revealed to have been working at a local school.

Haslet pastor resigns

What we know:

Heritage Baptist Church released a statement on Monday, March 2, announcing that Eric Crawford has resigned his position as pastor at the church.

Crawford had been on leave since late Feb. 2026 after his son, Caleb…

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“This shows what can happen when a community chooses courage over silence. The work doesn’t end here,” Katie Thompson said.

The founding pastor of Heritage Baptist Church has resigned his position after his son, a registered sex offender, was terminated from employment at the church and private school before being arrested recently, according to a statement released Monday afternoon by the church.

Eric Crawford announced his decision Sunday in a move that takes effect immediately.

The church will vote to appoint an interim pastor within the next two weeks, the statement said.

Officials said they also plan to bolster the church’s hiring rules and regulations.

“The church is taking steps to review and reinforce campus procedures and security measures across all ministries,” the statement said.

The steps include auditing background checks when necessary and implementing a new visitor access system, according to the statement. Church officials also said…

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The state Attorney General’s Office can enforce subpoenas to determine whether charitable funds were used to cover up sexual abuse by clergy members, a Washington appeals court ruled Monday.

In May 2024, then-Attorney General Bob Ferguson launched an investigation into the Seattle Archdiocese, the Diocese of Spokane and the Diocese of Yakima, to find out “whether recent reforms publicized by the Church are being implemented and whether they are effective,” according to the appellate court ruling.

However, the Seattle Archdiocese refused to fully comply with subpoenas.

A King County Superior Court judge ruled in 2024 that the attorney general couldn’t force the church to hand over documents. Monday’s decision overturned that ruling.

In the new court opinion, a panel of three judges found the Archdiocese can only seek a religious exemption from specific laws when it’s truly necessary to protect religious freedom.

“This means the AGO’s subpoena is…

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Save Our Buffalo Churches, a parish preservation group in the Diocese of Buffalo, has petitioned the Vatican to investigate the leadership of Bishop Michael Fisher.

The campaign group has announced that it is sending a petition to the Holy See requesting an investigation into Bishop Fisher. The group says it is concerned about what it describes as possible mismanagement of the sexual abuse settlement process and the handling of related information provided to Vatican authorities.

This coincides with the final round of impact statements in the Chapter 11 case brought by survivors of clergy sexual abuse against the Diocese of Buffalo. The third session began on Wednesday, when victim-survivors addressed the court and described the lasting effects that abuse by members of the clergy has had on their lives. The bankruptcy filing was made seven years ago as the diocese faced mounting claims linked to historical abuse.

In a statement,…

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Clergy sex abuse survivors allege court maneuvering delays Archdiocese of Baltimore’s bankruptcy case

Lawyers for Catholic parishes are lobbying in federal court to come up with a process to weed out invalid claims as the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s bankruptcy case continues.

Creditors in the case, including some clergy sex abuse survivors, question the timing of bringing up invalid claims now; their attorney called it pointless since the 462 known, viable claims are worth in excess of $600 million — more than any amount the church is able to pay.

“It’s just delay, delay, delay; more of the same,” said Teresa Lancaster, an abuse survivor, advocate and attorney for the creditors.

“They’re willing for this to go on and on and on,” said Frank Schindler, an abuse survivor and advocate.

Among legal maneuvers dominating the discussion, Baltimore’s Catholic parishes are now seeking to be seen as separate from Baltimore’s…

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The victim was reportedly the daughter of the wife’s cousin.

Operatives of the Ekeki Division of the police command in Bayelsa have arrested a pastor and his wife over alleged sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl in Yenagoa.

The state’s commissioner of police, Iyamah Edebor, confirmed the development to journalists on Monday.

He said the case had been transferred to the gender unit at the police headquarters for proper investigation and possible prosecution.

The arrest, effected during Sunday service, caused confusion as the pastor reportedly fled through a rear door.

He was said to have later presented himself at the police station after his wife was arrested.

Witnesses alleged that the offences occurred within the church premises and at the pastor’s residence.

The victim was reportedly the daughter of the wife’s cousin.

The girl alleged that the incidents occurred while she was sent on errands to deliver local bread, known…

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In short:

A former Riverina gym teacher has been jailed for sexually abusing students in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Victims of Christopher Charles Frost told the court they suffered ongoing trauma as a result of the abuse.

What’s next?

Frost will be eligible for parole in 2027.

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Former Riverina gym teacher Christopher Charles Frost has been sentenced to three years and two months in jail for sexually abusing students in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The 78-year-old Albury resident was sentenced for nine child sex offences against four victims under 16 years of age.

The victims were studying at St Michael’s Regional High School for boys in Wagga Wagga or the Wagga Wagga School of Gymnastics at the time of the offences.

They occurred over a five-year period and involved touching the genitals of three students and the use of force and threats to deter them…

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A Washington State Court of Appeals ruling has cleared the way for the Attorney General’s Office to investigate whether the Catholic Church used charitable funds to cover up allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy.

In a published opinion issued March 2, Division One of the Court of Appeals held that the Attorney General has statutory authority under the state’s Charitable Trust Act to subpoena records from the Corporation of the Catholic Archbishop of Seattle concerning sexual abuse allegations .

The case stems from an investigation initiated by then-Attorney General Bob Ferguson in 2023. The Attorney General’s Office issued a subpoena seeking records related to clergy accused or suspected of sexual abuse dating back to 1940, along with financial and policy documents. A King County Superior Court judge initially quashed the subpoena, ruling that religious corporations were categorically exempt from the Attorney General’s investigative authority under state law.

The Court…

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The Washington State Court of Appeals has ruled that the Attorney General’s Office can investigate whether the Catholic Church used charitable funds to cover up allegations of child sex abuse.

This decision comes after Governor Bob Ferguson, who initiated the investigation as Attorney General, pursued an appeal following an initial court ruling against the office.

“As a Catholic, the church must do the right thing and engage in a public accounting of how the church handles allegations of child sex abuse,” Governor Ferguson said in a release. “That’s why I started this investigation when I was Attorney General. This ruling is an important win for transparency. I am asking church leaders to reflect and pray about this unanimous court decision and stop fighting this investigation.”

The Attorney General’s Office had served a subpoena on the Corporation of the Catholic Archbishop of…

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A reporter ponders on how to repair a religious structure long thought of as good but supported by an evil underside

In 1965, just shy of my junior year at the Jesuit high school of New Orleans, with good potential as an offensive end, I had an epiphany in the muddy slog of August football practice: Why are you doing something you don’t like?

Soon after, I quit, and was trailed by guilt for a dereliction of duty. Jesuit vaunted student achievements of all kinds. I played on the golf team and did some pieces for the school paper. Jesuit fostered a fraternal culture, molding friendships I carry to this day.

For a writer, the Jesuits’ stress on Socratic thinking was a gift. Question seeks answer, answer sparks new questions, yielding synthesis as the wheel of learning turns. Picture cerebral basketball coach Kevin Trower, a layperson teaching Latin, pacing the floor…

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The book unpacks an extensive survey of American priests on everything from burnout to their relationships with their bishops.

In 2022, the National Study of Catholic Priests (NSCP) was released, the largest survey of Catholic priests in 50 years. A new book from the Catholic University of America (CUA) Press, Rebuilding Trust, Clergy Morale in the Wake of Abuse Crisis, invites readers to take a closer look at the results of this survey and its implications, including priesthood in the aftermath of the abuse crisis; the relationship between bishops and their priests; and the well-being of priests serving in the modern world.

The co-authors are staff at the Catholic Project, an initiative out of CUA that aims to be a place where, “laity and clergy can encounter one another and dialogue in a spirit of mutual respect and charity to address the most challenging issues the Church faces today.”…

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Rowan Maxwell Donoghue has admitted historic abuse at St Bede’s College between 1996 and 200

The college first became aware of the offending nearly 20 years ago, and an investigation is underway to review how it was handled.

Rector Jon McDowall’s confirmed the school also knew of allegations against a second priest.

He says the issues are distressing and the school’s focused on responding with clarity, care, and integrity.

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“You look so beautiful,” the pastor wrote his 26-year-old bookkeeper on a party napkin at a church wedding back in 2004.

At the time, Rachel thought he was just being a friend. She wanted to work at Christian Assembly, a charismatic congregation in the northern Virginia suburb of Vienna. The pastor, Denis Roy, then 34, was married with three young children and Rachel trusted him.

[Article continues here.]

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[VIDEO]

The mother of a middle school boy sexually abused by Marcus Kendall Turner is sharing her story of betrayal and recovery. Turner, a former leader at Worship with Wonders Church in Cobb County, was sentenced last week for the 2023 abuse. While the family finds some closure, the mother describes the long-term emotional damage caused by the grooming and betrayal of trust within the church.

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The retired bishop also appeared to dispute certain conclusions made in the report on his handling of the scandal

Justin Welby, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has been seeing a psychiatrist to help him come to terms with his “failure” in handling the Church of England’s abuse scandal.

The 70-year-old stepped down from his position in November 2024, shortly after an independent report exposed how senior Church figures, including himself, had maintained what investigators described as a “conspiracy of silence” regarding prolific abuser John Smyth.

Smyth, who died in 2018 aged 75 without facing justice, subjected over 100 boys and young men to physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks across five decades.

“I’ve been seeing a psychotherapist for a considerable period of time. And a psychiatrist. Very helpful,” the retired bishop admitted.

“It’s not about saying, ‘oh, it didn’t matter,’ or anything like that, quite the reverse – how does…

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The Diocese of Syracuse, New York, has formally closed out its long-running bankruptcy, funding a victims’ trust with more than $176 million to settle claims.

The move concludes a “journey of reparation” begun in June 2020 to “provide compensation for the pain and mistreatment experienced by survivors/victims of sexual abuse at the hands of those entrusted with their care,” wrote Syracuse Bishop Douglas J. Lucia in a Feb. 25 letter to diocesan faithful.

He noted that Chief Judge Wendy Kinsella of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of New York, had approved the final decree in the nearly six-year case that same day.

The bishop said the diocese had “conveyed its commitment” to the agreed-upon victim’s trust fund, with $76.1 million provided by insurance and $100 million from what he called “our ‘Catholic family’” — parishes ($45 million), the diocese itself ($50) through “a combination of investments and loans,”…

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A longtime Bellaire High School teacher and coach has been arrested in Belmont County following an investigation into the distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material.

On Thursday, the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Unit, alongside the Bellaire Police Department, conducted a search warrant on Rosser Avenue after receiving a tip regarding the distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material. As a result of the search, 49-year-old Shawn Mark Valloric was arrested.

“Our Criminal Investigation Unit did a fantastic job. They received the information from the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children yesterday, and within less than 8 hours they investigated, gathered enough evidence, and took Mr. Valloric into custody,” Belmont County Sheriff Zusack said.

Valloric was booked into the Belmont County Jail on 10 counts of felony 2 pandering obscenity involving a minor.

Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan said no arraignment date has been set yet.

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Survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in Syracuse are set to receive a $176.1 million settlement, a judge has ruled.

Judge Wendy Kinsella, who oversees federal bankruptcy cases in upstate New York, said in August that she would approve the plan after hearing from survivors and clergy. The collective compensative payment will be issued through a trust fund.

The diocese later confirmed in a statement that the judge has now formally approved the plan. Bishop Douglas Lucia, who leads the Syracuse diocese, has repeatedly apologised to survivors and said the legal process has been “significant burden” on claimants.

Bishop Douglas has invited survivors of sexual abuse to attend a “Blue Sunday” Mass at the diocese’s cathedral in Syracuse on April 26, to recognise survivors of child abuse.

In 2019, the diocese agreed to a $12,493,093 settlement to compensate victims of child sexual abuse, which was funded entirely through the…

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Police in Dauphin County have charged Michael McMullen in relation to multiple assaults over several decades.

A Dauphin County man is accused of sexually abusing several underage victims over several decades. 

Last November, Susquehanna Township Police charged 68-year-old Michael A. McMullen Sr. with unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors and indecent assault of someone under the age of 16. Those charges stem from an incident on Sept. 9, 2025.

At the time, McMullen served as a pastor at St. John AME Church in Lebanon. He was named the Chief Marshall of the First Episcopal District – AME Church last February, according to a post on the district’s Facebook page.

FOX43 has reached out to St. John AME Church and the First Episcopal District for comment on whether McMullen is still associated with the church — but has not heard back as of Thursday evening. 

Following…

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• A former Peoria pastor pleaded not guilty to charges of sending an illicit photo to a minor.
• Michael S. Ritchason is accused of sending a picture of his genitals via Snapchat to someone he believed was a minor.
• Ritchason resigned from his role at Riverside Community Church after being formally charged in December.

The former pastor of a Downtown Peoria church pleaded not guilty Thursday in Tazewell County Circuit Court to charges that he sent an illicit photograph of his genitals to a minor last August.

Michael S. Ritchason, 48, pleaded not guilty to a single count of distributing harmful material to a minor. He is accused of sending a photograph of his genitals over Snapchat to a person he believed to be a minor last August. Ritchason was the former pastor at Riverside Community Church in Peoria, where he resigned from his role last December after he was officially charged.

Ritchason…

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The Brief

• A convicted sex offender who was working a a Haslet school was registered to work in Fort Worth since at least 2021, an arrest affidavit shows.
• The arrest warrant document also states parents told police that several staffers and teachers knew about Caleb Crawford’s status, but were told not to tell parents.
• Crawford was arrested last week for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements. His father, the pastor at Heritage Baptist Church, has temporarily stepped down.

Arrest warrant documents reveal the timeline that led to the arrest of a convicted sex offender working for a Haslet church and school after he failed to report his status.

Timeline of the arrest

Timeline:

Caleb Crawford was released from prison in 2018, and was required to register annually as a sex offender with the Fort Worth Police Department.

According to the affidavit, Crawford has reported his work address in Fort…

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Two individuals have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to sexually exploit a child, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.

On Thursday, United States District Judge Anna M. Manasco, sentenced Wisam Sharieff, 44, of Euless, Texas, to 960 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. Sharieff was also ordered to pay a $135,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Act (AVAA). In June 2025, Sharieff pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in sexual exploitation of children, conspiracy to receive and distribute child pornography, and sexual exploitation of children.

In October 2025, Sharieff’s co-defendant Blake Miller Barakat, also known as “Hamna,” 50, of Shelby County, Alabama, was sentenced to 840 months in prison followed by a life term of supervised release. Barakat was also ordered to pay a $30,000.00 AVAA special assessment. In June 2025, Barakat pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children,…

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Conviction comes over two years after Jewish community fired him following allegations of abuse going back nearly 2 decades

A Berlin district court has found a local rabbi guilty of “sexual assault and sexual coercion by exploiting a moment of surprise,” a misdemeanor under German law.

The criminal case was brought by the Berlin public prosecutor and by one of multiple women who have accused the rabbi of a range of sexual abuses dating back almost two decades. Anyone with a complaint may press charges, Michael Petzold, a press spokesman for the public prosecutor, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Many of the women — including the co-plaintiff in this case — have said they thought they were his only victim, until news reports of his misconduct emerged following his firing by the Jewish community in Berlin on June 1, 2023.

The saga proved significant because it marked a rare instance…

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Senior clerics in the Church in Wales knew a vicar was accused of sexually assaulting a child, but did not act and still allowed him to be promoted to Bishop of Brecon and Swansea, according to a critical review.

An independent review commissioned by the Church found that several members did not act and did not follow up on concerns when an allegation of sexual assault was made against the former Bishop, Anthony Pierce, in 1993.

The review says the Church’s handling of Pierce’s case at the time was “wholly inappropriate and inadequate”.

Among those referenced in the review are several Archbishops of Wales, including John Davies, Barry Morgan and Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury.

Those most seriously criticised in the 131-page document include Bishop Dewi Bridges, Archdeacon Brian James, Archdeacon Wynford Rees and former Archbishop of Wales Alwyn Rice Jones, all of whom have since died.

The…

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Amendment would clarify terms and allow clergy to be charged for exploiting spiritual authority.

Senate Bill 542 was introduced on the Senate floor on Tuesday (Feb. 24) and moved to the Judiciary Committee for review. One day later, the committee voted unanimously to advance it to a vote on the Senate floor.

If passed, the bill would amend the state’s criminal code to define terms related to clergy sexual abuse and allow clergy members to be charged with certain sexual offenses when exploiting spiritual authority. First-degree violations would carry prison sentences ranging from one to 25 years. Cases involving minors or repeat sexual felony offenders could bring enhanced penalties.

Republican Sen. Randy Robertson introduced the bill to the Senate with 23 other co-sponsors.

“What we’ve experienced for many, many years here in the state of Georgia, is we have seen members of the clergy exploit their power and…

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A group petitions the Pope to investigate alleged abuse mismanagement, challenging Bishop Fisher’s leadership the Buffalo Catholic Diocese.

Thursday wraps up the final round of impact statements in the bankruptcy case against the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo.

The third session started Wednesday, where survivors shared how clergy sexual abuse has affected their lives.

This comes seven years after the Buffalo Diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The group ‘Save Our Buffalo Churches‘ on Thursday says they are sending a petition to the Pope, requesting he investigate Bishop Michael Fisher, and his executive team,  about how the sexual abuse cases and crisis settlements were handled. They say they’re specifically concerned about possible mismanagement and misrepresentation.

In a statement, the group says in-part,

“Save Our Buffalo Churches (SOBC) has made the decision to pursue a Papal petition requesting the Holy See to investigate Bishop Fisher and his…

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Local religious advisor George Giorgetti was arrested and charged with sexual assault and indecent assault in December, according to arrest records obtained by KFOX14/CBS4.

Giorgetti was arrested on Dec. 17 for one count of sexual assault and released the same day. He was then arrested on Dec. 24 on an indecent assault charge and released the same day.

The charges against Giorgetti come after a civil lawsuit was filed last April, which accused a local recovery program and Giorgetti of sexually abusing five men enrolled in a court-mandated treatment program, according to court documents previously obtained by KFOX14/CBS4.

However, it is unclear whether the charges against Giorgetti are connected to the lawsuit.

In a statement to KFOX14/CBS4, Giorgetti’s attorney said his client maintains his innocence.

“My client maintains his innocence and intends to vigorously defend himself against the pending allegations. While we respect the seriousness of the charges and the…

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A prosecutor said that a report on the categorisation of the images was still outstanding, and when that is received, the full file would be ready

A solicitor for a former Inishowen Parish Priest facing sexual communication charges and indecent images of children has said that each review into the case “seems to get longer and longer.”

Fr Edward Gallagher (58), of Orchard Park, Lifford, had been charged with one count of attempted sexual communication with a child on dates between April 2 and April 17, 2025.

He was also charged with seven further offences, including inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and causing a child to watch sexual activity, as well as charges of possessing indecent images of children.

At the latest hearing at Derry Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, February 26, a prosecutor said that a report on the categorisation of the images was still outstanding, and when…

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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse will establish a “Victims Trust Fund” for survivors of sexual abuse within the diocese, it announced in a press release Wednesday.

The announcement comes after Wendy Kinsella, Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of New York, approved a final decree closing the Diocese’s Chapter 11 case, which sought bankruptcy protection to compensate survivors of sexual abuse, according to a Wednesday release.

The legal journey began on June 19, 2020, after over 100 sexual abuse lawsuits were filed against the Diocese.

The trust fund totals $176.1 million, which will be awarded to survivors by an independent arbiter.

The judge’s issued reorganization plan utilizes a channeling injunction, making it that all claims against the Diocese are resolved through the shared trust fund instead of individual legal actions.

The Diocese said they are training and conducting criminal background checks on 52,000 people to…

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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse announced that $176.1 million will be going toward survivors of sexual abuse, it announced on Wednesday.

Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of New York Wendy Kinsella approved the diocese’s final decree to get it out of the Chapter 11 reorganization.

The diocese said the$176.1 million will be awarded through an independent arbiter.

Specifically, $76.1 million will be provided by the diocese’s insurance carriers. $100 million will be contributed from the “Catholic Family,” including $45 million parishes, $5 million from other diocesan entities, and $50 million from the diocese itself via investments and loans.

The diocese said that the organization plan will utilize a channeling injunction to ascertain that all the claims against it is resolved through the shared trust fund.

“Words cannot adequately express my feelings and sorrow regarding such heinous behavior,” said Bishop Douglas J. Lucia in a news release….

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The former worship pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church who was arrested Monday on multiple sexual abuse charges took his own life Thursday morning, according to the Kentucky State Police.

In a news release, KSP said “The Daviess County Sheriff’s Office and Daviess County Coroner’s Office responded to the apparent suicide of Mr. David Rodgers around 9:45am yesterday morning near his Utica residence.”

David Rodgers, 40, had been charged with third-degree rape, second-degree sodomy involving a position of authority, first-degree sexual abuse, procuring or promoting the use of a minor by electronic means and possession of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor under the age of 12.

He was arrested and later released on $75,000 full cash bond.

The KSP initially received the complaint in early January 2026, but the incidents are alleged to have begun 10 to 11 years ago and continued for four to five years.

…

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A federal judge has approved the final order that allows the Catholic Diocese of Syracuse to emerge from bankruptcy.

That will start the process of distributing $176 million to hundreds of people who were sexually abused by clergy and other church staff.

Wendy Kinsella, chief U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge for the Northern District of New York, signed off on the agreement to close the case on Wednesday.

An independent arbiter will award $176.1 million to the sexual abuse survivors. The money that makes up that compensation fund comes from:

• $76.1 million provided by the Diocese’s insurance carriers
• $100 million contributed from the “Catholic family,” including $45 million from parishes, $5 million from other diocesan entities and $50 million from the Diocese itself via investments and loans

Bishop Douglas J. Lucia issued a letter to the church community on Wednesday.

“Beyond doubt, my heart continues…

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Denis Roy committed clergy sexual abuse resulting in significant harm—harm to victims, harm to families, and harm to this congregation. What is described in the report represents a serious abuse of pastoral authority and trust. We grieve the pain that was caused, and we are truly sorry this happened within a Vineyard church.

We also want to acknowledge, with deep gratitude and respect, the victims and survivors who came forward. We recognize that sharing experiences of harm requires immense courage, vulnerability, and strength. These victims have done so at great personal cost, carrying emotional, relational, and spiritual weight that few will ever fully see.

Their voices have brought truth into the open. By speaking up, they have made it possible for what was hidden to come to light, for accountability to begin, and for meaningful change to take root. We grieve the pain they have endured, and we honor the…

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A Malden High School employee is facing two counts of felony rape of a high school student, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan confirmed.

Scott Marino, 54, of Stoneham, was arrested Wednesday and is accused of sexually assaulting and giving alcohol to an 18-year-old who was known to Marino on Feb. 18, in Stoneham.

Marino is a Linden School educator and the head coach of the girls’ basketball team at Malden High School, Malden Public School Superintendent Timothy Sippel said.

According to Sippel, the incidents allegedly occurred outside of working hours and involved a Malden high school student.

A woman who played under Marino for four years on the girls’ basketball team told NewsCenter 5 that she could not believe the allegations.

“Very, very shocked,” she said. “It’s something that I would have never expected at all because I knew him for four years and he was somebody that I looked…

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A Malden teacher and high school girls basketball coach was arrested Wednesday, accused of giving alcohol to an 18-year-old student and sexually assaulting her, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Stoneham Police Chief James O’Connnor.

Scott Marino, 54, of Stoneham, is charged with two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault and battery, and one count of furnishing alcohol to a person under the age of 21. He is the head coach of the girls basketball team at Malden High School, and also teaches at the Linden STEAM Academy.

On February 18, Ryan said Marino provided alcohol to and sexually assaulted an 18-year-old woman who was known to him in Stoneham. Malden Public Schools Superintendent Timothy Sippel said the incident occured outside of working hours and involved one of their high school students.

In a statement, Sippel wrote, “Mr. Marino was immediately placed on leave from the…

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What is the greater scandal: crime and sin, or drawing attention to it?

The Vatican announced this week that the former bishop of the Ivory Coast’s Diocese of Man has been transferred to an auxiliary position in another diocese. A move which appears to draw to a close a simmering two year dispute.

Since 2008, the diocese had been led since Bishop Gaspard Béby Gnéba, 63.

But the bishop had been at odds with local clergy since January 2024, when he published a letter to Catholics in which he asked that they denounce priests living in concubinage, maintaining illicit families, or committing other crimes of sexual or financial abuse.

The response was uproar among local clergy, leading to a standoff with the bishop, an apostolic visitation ordered by Rome, the temporary sidelining of Gnéba, and the appointment of a caretaker bishop later that year.

This month, Pope Leo XIV…

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Very little progress was made yesterday in a novel lawsuit filed by five former residents of St Dominic’s Children’s Home, who allege they suffered physical and sexual abuse while living there.

During a virtual hearing, High Court Judge Carol Gobin declined to give case management directions until a former employee of the home, named as a defendant, is properly served with court documents.

“I cannot proceed until he is served,” Gobin said.

Attorney Christlyn Moore, leading the claimants’ legal team, explained that the man was previously on remand facing charges of buggery, attempted buggery, and serious indecency. Attempts to serve him at a police station, as part of his bail conditions, were unsuccessful.

“He is no longer in prison. We were not able to track him at the police station,” Moore said.

During the hearing, Senior Counsel Gregory Delzin, representing the Roman Catholic Archdiocese, which manages the home, noted that…

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A bill that would make members of the clergy ‘mandatory reporters’ of child abuse passed the Kansas House of Representatives last week,but it has a long road ahead before it can become a law.

The bill, House Bill 2352, passed by a vote of 111 to 5. It now moves to the Kansas Senate.

Senators say that there is no opposition to the bill on religious grounds, since there is an amendment that exempts private confession. However, senators say they are seeing opposition from insurance companies that represent churches.

Related Story: Bill to make Kansas clergy mandatory reporters of child abuse faces opposition for fourth year

Joe Cheray, a sexual abuse survivor, said it was unbelievable to witness the bill pass in the house. Cheray was abused as a child and has been pushing for this bill for four years.

She said she had almost given up hope before seeing…

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A former pastor is being accused by numerous victims of inappropriate conduct while in a leadership position at the church in Owego, according to a statement from the church on Friday.

According to a statement from the Owego Church of the Nazarene, Pastor Jarrod Geistdorfer was removed from his position on Feb. 1.

One alleged victim, who wished to remain anonymous due to the ongoing investigation, said she was contacted in November by the church’s director for a statement regarding Geistdorfer’s alleged misconduct.

“In November, the director of Nazarene reached out to me, and she said, ‘Someone gave me your name and said they heard something had happened to you. Do you mind giving me a statement? You would be number 12,’” the alleged victim said.

She described a series of encounters with Geistdorfer that she said escalated over time.

“The first or second time was really weird. I told…

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OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY

District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway

Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit, Cherokee County

90 North Street, Canton GA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Former Cobb County Church Leader Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Crimes, Sentenced to 25 Years Without Parole

State vs. Marcus Kendall Turner

District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway announces that Marcus Kendall Turner, 34, of the Acworth area of Cherokee County, pled guilty on February 9 to sex crimes involving a teenage child. Turner admitted to all 11 counts he faced, including:

• 2 counts of aggravated child molestation

• 2 counts of child molestation

• 1 count of enticing a child for indecent purposes

• 1 count of obscene internet contact with a child

• 4 counts of sexual exploitation of children

• 1 count of cruelty to children in the first degree…

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The number of Christians in Germany is declining, and society is divided. However, Heiner Wilmer, the new chairman of the German Catholic Bishops’ Conference, is calling for unity and dialogue.

The new chairman of the Catholic German Bishops Conference, Heiner Wilmer, is four days older than his predecessor, Georg Bätzing: almost 65 years old. This is not what one would call a generational handover.

But Bishop Wilmer of Hildesheim, a town in northern Germany known for its historic churches, is different from most of the 55 German bishops. Wilmer belongs to the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an order with around 2,200 members active in some 40 countries worldwide. From 2015 to 2018, he was their superior general, with offices in Rome. In this role, he regularly traveled around the world. He also met the former Pope Francis at the Vatican on several occasions.

Some aspects of…

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A former teacher and a retired priest, who both were previously brought before Manitoba criminal courts on sex crime charges, have been accused in separate lawsuits over historical sexual abuse allegations.

Retired Catholic priest Arthur Masse and former teacher Kenneth MacKinnon Mealey have been accused of sex assaults in lawsuits recently filed in the Court of King’s Bench by a Vancouver law firm that specializes in alleged sex abuse cases, Prezler Law.

Masse was acquitted in 2023 of a charge of indecent assault, which was alleged to have occurred on a schoolgirl more than 50 years ago at Fort Alexander Residential School. He was 93 at the time of his acquittal.

It’s unclear whether he’s still alive. The lawsuit names the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Winnipeg, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate — a religious order of which Masse was a member — and its administrative non-profit, OMI Lacombe, as…

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Church advocates fear move could affect ongoing police investigation into alleged abuse at Maumere nightclub

An Indonesian governor has personally escorted alleged trafficking victims rescued by Catholic nuns from a nightclub in eastern Indonesia back to their home province.

West Java Gov. Dedi Mulyadi visited the Humanitarian Volunteer Team for Flores (TRUK-F), a Catholic Church-backed advocacy coalition based in Sikka Regency on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara province, on Feb. 23.

There he collected 12 victims and flew back with them to West Java — where most of them are from — later the same day.

Before leaving, Mulyadi said he would facilitate their continued legal proceedings in the case being handled by the Sikka Regency police.

“They’re going back to their hometowns today. They’ll be back and forth, and we’ll help them,” he said.

Holy Spirit Sister Maria Fransiska Imakulata, chairwoman of TRUK-F, said she was surprised because…

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Four educational institutions, including three seminaries, remain partnered with Kanakuk Institute, an eight-month program aimed at equipping post-graduate students with “biblical skills for a lifetime of ministry” with connections to Kanakuk Kamps.

Three of these schools are Baptist affiliated.

Over the past three years, Baptist News Global has covered litigation and legislative lobbying efforts related to the prolific childhood sexual abuse that occurred at Kanakuk Kamps for decades at the hands of serial sex abuser Peter Newman, despite leadership’s knowledge of his misconduct long before he was terminated. Now, survivor advocates are pointing out what they believe are harmful connections between Kanakuk-related ministries and theological education.

The same leaders who enabled and covered up Newman’s abuses remain in charge of the Missouri camping enterprise.

Kanakuk Institute is advertised as an educational program that offers students credit toward certain master’s degrees, such as a master of divinity and other degrees related to…

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Jesuit Father Hans Zollner is urging Catholics to make prayer for abuse victims a central focus this Lent, saying the Church’s spiritual response to sexual abuse remains underdeveloped. The director of the Institute of Anthropology at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University said that while safeguarding policies and research have grown, prayer for victims and secondary victims is often overlooked.

Recent global headlines surrounding abuse cases in Europe

Father Zollner spoke to OSV News as cases of abuse made global news with abuse survivor Gisèle Pelicot meeting Queen Camilla Feb. 23, and with two high profile figures — Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Peter Mandelson, former British ambassador to the U.S. — arrested due to their connections with Jeffrey Epstein.

Pelicot was drugged by her now-former husband and raped in their French home by strangers while she lay unconscious. Her book, “Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides,” was launched in London, where…

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A Bergen County man says Paramus Catholic High School and church officials failed to stop an employee who sexually abused him there 40 years ago.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Essex County Superior Court, is the third in recent months alleging abuse by former gym teacher and coach Bernard Garris.

The suit was filed against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, the Brothers of the Christian Schools and Paramus Catholic High School.

It claims Garris “engaged in a calculated series of manipulation, grooming, and abuse,” and that the defendants failed to properly supervise employees or implement sufficient policies to protect students.

The complaint further alleges that school and church officials knew or should have known about Garris’ conduct but failed to stop it.

“My client believes that other coaches, teachers and Christian brothers were aware and witnessed some of the…

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In short:

The WA government is under pressure to broaden the scope of proposed institutional child sex abuse laws so they do not just apply to religious institutions.

Governments around the country moved to update their laws following a “retrograde” High Court decision which made it harder for some victims to seek compensation.

What’s next?

But the WA Attorney-General says the government won’t be amending the bill, leading to a stalemate.

Efforts to close a legal loophole which allows some organisations to escape paying compensation for institutional child sexual abuse have been delayed after upper house MPs could not agree on how far the law should reach.

The debate traces back to 2024, when the High Court of Australia ruled the Catholic Church was not liable for a priest sexually abusing a five-year-old boy because the priest was not considered an employee of the church.

It left state and territory governments…

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A pastor at a Lake Zurich church and school who has been accused of sexually abusing minors three separate times has been permanently replaced even as the archbishop continues to praise him.

Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago, wrote in a recent letter to the community at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish in Lake Zurich informing them that Father David F. Ryan would no longer be with the parish.

“I first of all want to thank you for your unwavering patience over the past few years when legal matters have required your pastor, Father David Ryan, to temporarily step away from ministry. These occasions have not be [been] easy for you or for him,” Cupich said.

Father Steven Lanza is the current interim administrator of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish.

“At the same time, you deserve to know that there is little likelihood that the accusations against…

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In a landmark judgment, the High Court of Australia (High Court or the Court) has held that the Catholic Diocese (the Diocese) breached a non‑delegable duty of care owed to a child who was sexually assaulted by a priest in 1969.

The majority of the High Court confirmed that a breach of a non‑delegable duty is not confined to negligence; it can extend to intentional wrongdoing on the part of a delegate (who does not have to be an employee at law) where the harm was reasonably foreseeable and arose in circumstances in which the institution had assumed responsibility for the child’s safety.

In reaching this conclusion, the Court re-opened and overturned the long‑standing position from New South Wales v Lepore (2003) 212 CLR 511 (Lepore), that that there can be no common law non-delegable duty in respect of harm caused by an intentional criminal act.

This decision has significant implications for cases relating…

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The High Court has expanded the responsibility of institutions in cases of historic sexual abuse, in a judgment expected to lead to more legal cases relating to children.

The court found the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle could not delegate its duty of care to a child who was abused by a parish priest.

It said the diocese owed the child a duty of care when the boy was under the control of one of its priests, and the risk of injury to a child could have been foreseen in 1969 when the abuse occurred. The diocese should have taken reasonable care to prevent injury.

However, the court set aside a payment of $636,480 awarded by the NSW Supreme Court, ruling the NSW Civil Liability Act applied. It reduced the damages to $335,960 – the limit under the act.

The appellant, known as AA, was 13 when he was repeatedly…

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Lincolnshire Police have confirmed that a 68‑year‑old man was arrested on 19 February 2026 as part of an “ongoing investigation” into an allegation that a man was sexually assaulted between 2018 and 2025. The man has been widely identified in the media as Stephen Conway, Bishop of Lincoln, who was later released on conditional bail pending further enquiries.

The Diocese of Lincoln has stated that Conway has been suspended from ministry while a complaint made to the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team is being handled under the House of Bishops’ safeguarding code of practice. That process includes referral to statutory authorities, and the diocese has said that support is in place for those affected and that it will not comment further while both civil and ecclesial investigations continue.

During Conway’s suspension, the Bishop of Grantham, the Rt Rev Nicholas Chamberlain, has been asked to assume responsibility for diocesan leadership and…

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A priest was booked for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor boy at a pilgrimage centre in Ghansawangi tehsil in Maharashtra’s Jalna district, a police official said on Sunday.

A case under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for penetrative sexual assault and other offences was registered on February 18 against Jamb Samarth priest Nilesh Shashikant Kulkarni (28) on the complaint of the father of a 13-year-old boy, said Ghansawangi police station sub inspector AK Dhakne.

“Kulkarni, a resident of Donagaon in Paroda tehsil of Dharashiv district, is accused of luring the child with chocolates to his room and then sexually assaulting him. He also allegedly threatened the victim to not reveal the ordeal to anyone,” he added.

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A pastor in Texarkana has been arrested in connection with an alleged rape case.Police: Mom arrested for cruelty after ‘getting her lick in’ on 13-year-old

Cedric Monteze Sharp, 51, was arrested on Wednesday, February 11, on five counts of rape, according to court documents. Sharp serves as the pastor of Bright Star Missionary Baptist Church in Texarkana. Initially, he was being held at the Miller County jail, but has since been released.

Details regarding the allegations have not been released at this time, but Sharp is prohibited from harassing or communicating with the victim.

He is also prohibited from consuming alcoholic beverages or any controlled substances or medications unless prescribed. Additionally, he is not allowed to carry a firearm or ammunition.

Sharp’s next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3, at 9:00 a.m. More information will be provided as it becomes available.

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Legislation Clarifies That Exploitation of Spiritual Authority May Constitute a Criminal Offense

Georgia State Senator Randy Robertson has introduced Senate Bill 542 (SB 542), legislation that would amend Georgia’s criminal code to allow clergy members to be charged with certain sexual offenses when they exploit a position of spiritual authority.

Filed on February 20, 2026, SB 542 updates Chapter 6 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A. § 16-6-5.1) — Georgia’s statute governing “improper sexual contact by employee or agent” — to expressly include clergy members within its scope. Under the bill, a clergy member who engages in sexually explicit conduct or sexual contact with someone who is the subject of a pastoral counseling or spiritual authority relationship could face criminal charges.

The legislation has garnered support from 24 co-sponsors in the Georgia State Senate.

“SB 542 is important to me as a follower of Christ, as the husband of a woman who has…

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Historic clerical abuse compensation cases against a Catholic church diocese are to be temporarily suspended amid uncertainty over its financial capability to fund pay-outs, a High Court judge ordered today.

Mr Justice Scoffield granted the request for a moratorium on a number of existing claims for damages already before the court.

The application was made by the Diocese of Dromore Trustee while it seeks legal clarification on whether parish property can be sold to help meet any liabilities to victims.

It is understood that dozens of cases could now be put on hold.

The Diocese has been sued in a series of cases, many of them centred on the activities of paedophile priest Malachy Finegan.

Finegan, who died in 2002, allegedly groomed and sexually abused boys while he taught and worked at St Colman’s College in Newry, Co Down.

Millions of pounds in damages have already been paid out in…

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The Kansas House just passed a bill that will make clergy members mandated reporters. If the bill becomes a law, priests who learn about abuse against children—physical, mental, emotional, sexual—will have to report it to law enforcement authorities.

… But there’s a key exception to that rule.

If they learn about the abuse through the act of Confession, they can keep the secret to themselves. That exception removes the teeth from the bill, creating a loophole for abusers. Still, it’s a step forward in a state where priests currently don’t have to report anything to law enforcement.

HB 2352 advanced in the House forward with a 111-5 vote on Thursday. It makes two specific changes to existing law: First, it adds “duly ordained minister of religion” to the list of people who are mandated reporters.

(F) any person employed by or who works as a volunteer for any organization, whether for…

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[See the Native American Boarding Schools in Michigan Final Report.]

A shelved, taxpayer-funded report on tribal boarding schools recommended an apology for Michigan’s role in the deaths and abuse of Native American children.

As first reported by Bridge Michigan, that $1.1 million report was never released, and a summary presented to the Legislature left out recommendations made by the consulting firm. Bridge obtained a copy of the 300-page report, which includes accounts by survivors of abuse in the homes, as well as glimpses of the roles the state and communities played in the federally funded boarding schools that closed more than 40 years ago.

Now, a House appropriations subcommittee has scheduled a hearing Feb. 27 about the report and why it was scrapped after its completion in September.

“We’d like to get some understanding of why we spent over a million dollars on a 300-page report and then threw…

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[See the letter by the Berríos survivors in English and Spanish.]

Both Berríos and Rupnik were, at some point in their lives, Jesuit priests. Both have been credibly accused of sexually abusing females.

The Society of Jesus, the so-called Jesuits, separately expelled Berríos and Rupnik, acknowledging the kind of damage both inflicted upon their victims.

However, Berríos and Rupnik remain priests because the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith remains tied to a self-serving set of rules designed to protect predators and clergymen at large.

On Monday, February 9, a group of three survivors of abuse at the hands of Chilean former Jesuit priest Felipe Berríos del Solar published, on behalf of a larger group, a gut-wrenching open letter.

The piece, available in both Spanish and English further down, is a painful and detailed account of the fate many survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Chile, Latin America and the…

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Pope Leo XIV reminded members of the Legionaries of Christ that exercising governance and authority is meant as a service and not as a means to control others.

In his Feb. 19 address to participants of the religious congregation’s General Chapter, the pope said that authority in religious life should serve as a means of “animating common life” centered on Christ, while “avoiding any form of control that does not respect the dignity and freedom of persons.”

‘Spiritual and fraternal service’

“Authority in religious life is not understood as domination, but as spiritual and fraternal service to those who share the same vocation,” he said. “Its exercise must be manifested in the ‘art of accompaniment,’ learning to remove one’s sandals before the sacred ground of the other.”

The Legionaries of Christ was founded in Mexico by the late-Father Marcial Maciel Degollado.

In May 2006, following an investigation…

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The Catholic Diocese of Camden, New Jersey and several holdout insurers have agreed to add $180 million to a trust fund to pay claims of survivors of sexual abuse by the church’s clergy.

The $180 million is in addition to a settlement of $87.5 million between the diocese and the Official Committee of Tort Claimant Creditors that was approved by the Bankruptcy Court in 2024.

Several insurers appealed the 2024 court decision approving the $87.5 million plan and the case has been on appeal since then. Insurers had agreed to contribute $30 million but carriers expressed concerns about loopholes they said could end up costing them more than the agreed-upon $30 million. The bankruptcy judge had ordered a reworking of the plan to address some of those concerns but several insurers still opposed the plan.

The parties entered into mediation. The diocese’s willingness to make an additional contribution to the…

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Ex-Church of England priest David Tudor has received a second lifetime ban from ministry after a tribunal found he groomed and sexually abused a 15-year-old girl in Surrey in the 1980s.

It is the second time he has been convicted by a church tribunal of sexual abuse.

The first ban was in October 2024 after he admitted sexually abusing two girls between 1982 and 1989.

Now the tribunal is publishing its reasons and punishment after it found the former priest guilty of misconduct last November.

Tudor’s misconduct was “egregious and of the utmost seriousness” showing a “deliberate and damaging failure to comply with the high standards of Christian behaviour”, the Southwark Bishops’ Disciplinary Tribunal found.

In a unanimous decision, the panel of five said it was “satisfied that it is more likely than not that the Respondent (David Tudor) had sexual intercourse” with a girl identified as “Z” when she…

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A former teacher who groomed, abused and made a vulnerable teenage pupil pregnant has been jailed for six years.

Edward Waller sent naked photos of himself before having sex with the girl in 2005 while he was teaching at St Anne’s Catholic School in Southampton.

The 66-year-old, from Southsea, was convicted at Portsmouth Crown Court of sexual activity with a child and two counts of inciting child sexual activity, all committed by a person in a position of trust.

The victim told the court: “I was a child looking for safety and love, he saw that and exploited it.”

The history teacher knew his victim “was a vulnerable girl who was having significant issues at home”, prosecutors said.

He began to give her extra attention, messaging her privately and sending sexual texts and photos.

In December 2005, Waller invited the victim to his home where they had sex and she…

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Last year, Evi Bota Sao realized she had suffered enough.

She was ready for a new kind of life.

After two decades in an abusive relationship, she left her husband and filed a report of physical abuse and assault with local authorities in her home city of Maumere on the eastern Indonesian island of Flores.

She did this after finding support and hope at a shelter cofounded by the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit and the Divine Word Missionaries, a male religious order.

The shelter, run in collaboration with a staff of 17 and three lay volunteers, is a cornerstone of work by a nongovernmental organization known as TRUK F, or the Flores Humanitarian Volunteer Team. 

Founded in 1997, it is the only group in Maumere that focuses solely on empowering women and children who face challenges stemming from domestic, physical and sexual abuse and human trafficking, as…

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Three East Texas school superintendents have been arrested this year on charges of failing to report child abuse to law enforcement, raising a question educators need to know how to answer: When and how must they report allegations of abuse?

The answer to the question is simple, said a Texas education attorney. Educators must report any report of abuse that they reasonably believe. And even if they have doubt about the allegation, the safest best is to report it and let law enforcement be the judge. Systems are in place to protect people if they are ultimately innocent.

“I always encourage clients — and the law strongly encourages clients — if you’re not sure, report,” attorney Katie Anderson said. “See something, say something.”

Anderson is a longtime attorney in Texas and is a partner with the Dallas-based Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal LLP law firm. She represents public schools and…

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Bishop Joseph Williams thanked abuse victims for their “bravery and persistence” in coming forward with allegations.

The Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, will fund a $180 million settlement for abuse victims, Bishop Joseph Williams said this week, more than doubling a settlement amount proposed two years ago.

Williams said on Feb. 17 that the plan “establishes a trust of $180 million, funded by the diocese, its parishes, and the various insurers that insured the diocese in the past.” The proposal is still subject to approval by U.S. bankruptcy court.

The bishop noted that the bankruptcy court had approved an $87.5 million plan in 2024. A Feb. 17 press release from the New York-based law firm Lowenstein Sandler — whose attorneys have represented abuse victims in the dispute — said the agreement “supplements [the] earlier settlement” and comes in at “more than six times the amount” first…

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In summary

A recent state law lifted the statute of limitations on sex abuse lawsuits, driving a huge increase in payouts by school districts and government agencies. It has also increased insurance premiums for all agencies.

Since California made it easier for sexual abuse survivors to sue government agencies, victims have brought forth more than $3 billion in claims. But even agencies that haven’t been sued are facing financial hardship as a result of the law — through skyrocketing insurance premiums.

School districts, counties and other public agencies in every corner of California have seen their liability insurance premiums soar, in large part because of that law, which passed in 2019. Some districts have seen their yearly insurance costs jump by $1 million or more.

To pay the premiums, schools have had to leave teacher vacancies unfilled, scrap renovation projects and make other cuts that affect students. Counties have cut…

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The state’s top Catholic is calling for a “commitment to prayer” amid a continually unfolding sexual-abuse controversy.

“If we as a diocese truly repent, truly believe, truly turn to the Father, then something happens,” Bishop James Ruggieri said. “Our parishes will become even more alive. Our charity will become more credible. Our witness becomes even more compelling. And our unity becomes visible.”

But the leading Maine advocates for victims of priestly sexual abuse are calling Ruggieri out, claiming his words fall short.

Voice Of The Faithful In Maine see the bishop’s Ash Wednesday homily’s excerpt calling for “forgiveness to replace resentment” as ironic.

“Why is he refusing to meet with two baptized Catholics?” asked Paul Kendrick of Freeport.

Kendrick is co-founder of the abuse advocates group seeking what it describes as “reparations and justice for victims of childhood sexual abuse.”

The organization is calling on the bishop to meet with…

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Trenton NJ — A New Jersey Catholic diocese this week agreed to a $180 million settlement to resolve allegations of clergy sexual abuse, a figure far exceeding agreements in some large dioceses but still dwarfed by other massive settlements.

Bishop Joseph Williams of the Diocese of Camden, covering southern New Jersey and its Philadelphia suburbs, announced the settlement Tuesday in a letter.

“For the survivors of South Jersey, this day is long overdue and represents a milestone in their journey toward restored justice and the healing and recognition they have long sought and deserve,” Williams said.

Mark Crawford, state director of the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, said in a phone interview Wednesday that the settlement was long overdue but he was glad the ordeal was coming to an end. He praised the bishop for listening to survivors and for pledging transparency, contrasting him with his predecessor, who…

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Last week, U.S. Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced S-3815, also known as “Virginia’s Law.” The bill would eliminate the statute of limitations restrictions in civil sexual abuse cases for American survivors.

It is named after a survivor of abuse by the late Jeffrey Epstein. Virginia Giuffre was one of the earliest victims to publicly call for criminal justice against Epstein. In April 2025, Guiffre died by suicide.

Guiffre settled for an undisclosed amount in 2022 after alleging she was trafficked by Epstein to powerful people, including Prince Andrew. Although the details of her settlement are not entirely public, her willingness to share her story contributed to the federal investigations that imprisoned both Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

This bill holds her namesake and intends to give the numerous, now adult, Epstein survivors legal avenues of justice for crimes committed against them years ago.

“Virginia’s Law” is similar to numerous state-level bills…

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Report documents “questionable and suspicious behavior” from Bishop Emanuel Shaleta

An Eastern Catholic bishop in California has submitted his resignation amid a Vatican-ordered investigation into allegations of substantial embezzlement and sexual misconduct.

But the resignation of Chaldean Catholic Bishop Emanuel Shaleta has not yet been accepted by the Vatican, and sources say Chaldean Patriarch Cardinal Louis Sako is aiming to see the bishop retain a place in Church leadership.

—
According to documents reviewed by The Pillar, parish finance council members at St. Peter’s Chaldean Cathedral in El Cajon, California, noticed in November 2024 an unusual banking pattern that indicated the possibility of embezzlement.

The parish owns a social hall which is leased to an outside management firm for some $33,990 monthly. Rent was typically paid to the parish by the outside management company with a check. But in November 2024, the rent check deposited into the parish bank account came from…

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Heritage Baptist Church has suspended Pastor Eric Crawford amid backlash over his son, a registered sex offender, working at the church.

Heritage Baptist Church in Haslet has temporarily removed its lead pastor from all ministry duties while the church conducts an internal review, following growing concerns from parents and members about a registered sex offender’s work on campus.

In a Thursday statement, the church announced that Pastor Eric Crawford, “in full agreement with church leadership and his family,” has been temporarily relieved of all ministry responsibilities while the church’s Finance Team carries out “a thorough internal review.” 

The church said the move was made “collaboratively and voluntarily” to ensure transparency, preserve the integrity of the review process, and avoid “unnecessary distraction from the ongoing work of the church and its related ministries.”

The temporary removal follows backlash after parents learned that Pastor Crawford’s adult son, Caleb…

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An appeals court in southern Italy confirmed that a former priest used manipulative tactics to sexually abuse several minors, and that members of the diocese, including the bishop, were aware and actively covered up the abuse. 

In mid-January, the Court of Appeals of the southern Italian city of Caltanissetta published its “Statement of Reasons,” a 50-page document explaining the court’s July 1 sentencing of Father Giuseppe Rugolo to a three-year prison term. 

OSV News obtained a copy of the document.

In it, the court said Father Rugolo’s abuse of three victims — Antonio Messina, Salvatore Cacciato and Filippo Lo Presti — involved a “predatory” pattern of behavior that was characterized as “deviancy masked as pastoral mission.”

The case drew attention for the public release of recordings, including some made by the accused priest during private conversations with Bishop Rosario Gisana of Piazza Armerina. 

In one recording, Bishop Gisana tells the former…

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A preliminary investigation by the Roman Rota into the allegations against a Spanish bishop accused of sexual abuse of a minor has recommended that the Vatican open a full canonical penal process.

According to reports in El País the investigation carried out by the Roman Rota tribunal in Madrid into the allegations against Bishop Emeritus Rafael Zornoza of Cádiz and Ceuta interviewed a number of witnesses and found credible evidence.

Reportedly, one of the witnesses testified that they saw the bishop in bed with the former seminarian who alleged that Zornoza sexually abused him while he was between 14 and 21 years old.

RELATED: Spanish bishop accused of sexual abuse maintains his innocence

The tribunal finished last week and is now waiting to hear whether the penal process will be opened.

The crime Zornoza is accused of is time-barred, so civil courts cannot prosecute him, but under canon law he can…

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The Diocese of Brooklyn knew about sexual abuse allegations against Patrick Sexton “for many years” before the bishop officially barred him from ministry, according to personnel files.

Recently unsealed personnel files from the Diocese of Brooklyn show that diocesan leaders knew explicit details of repeated sexual misconduct and abuse allegations against a priest for decades before he was officially barred from ministry.

New York Supreme Court Judge Joanne Quiñones in January ordered the unsealing of diocesan records related to Patrick Sexton, a former priest who was officially barred from ministry there in 2004 and was eventually laicized by Pope Benedict XVI.

The judge’s order was connected to a lawsuit against the Brooklyn Diocese regarding alleged abuse by Sexton.

A November 2004 letter from then-moderator of the diocesan curia, Monsignor Otto Garcia, to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — then-prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (now the Dicastery for…

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Kathleen Klein faces up to 20 years in prison on a conspiracy charge

A federal grand jury in Michigan indicted a third defendant in an alleged forced labor conspiracy tied to the Kingdom of God Global Church, the Justice Department announced.

Kathleen Klein, said to also be known as “Prophetess,” allegedly served as a leader and executive of the church — formerly known as Joshua Media Ministries International — and helping run a multi-state call center operation that prosecutors say exploited workers to solicit donations.

The Justice Department said Klein, 53, and co-defendants David Taylor and Michelle Brannon allegedly operated call centers in Michigan, Missouri, Florida and Texas, where victims were forced to work long hours without pay and pressured to meet aggressive fundraising targets.

Prosecutors said workers who fell short or resisted were subjected to public humiliation, sleep deprivation, physical abuse,…

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A third person has been charged in connection with a scheme that federal officials say was a forced labor conspiracy involving victims in Michigan, Florida, Texas and Missouri. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said Thursday that a federal grand jury has issued a superseding indictment that levies additional allegations against David E. Taylor and Michelle Brannon; and furthermore, adds Kathleen Klein, 53, as a third defendant in the case. 

Klein, whom federal prosecutors say was also known within the organization as Prophetess, is specifically charged with conspiracy to commit forced labor, which has a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. 

The activity involves forced labor alleged to have taken place through Kingdom of God Global Church, formerly known as Joshua Media Ministries International. During the scheme that lasted more than 10 years, the organization collected about $50 million, and federal authorities…

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A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan returned a superseding indictment yesterday against a third defendant for her alleged role in a forced labor conspiracy that victimized individuals in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri.

“This case reflects the gravity of forced labor schemes that strip victims of their basic human rights and subject them to physical and brutal psychological abuse,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Department of Justice. We will relentlessly pursue those who facilitate and profit from forced labor and fight to obtain justice for survivors.”

“We will follow the evidence and meticulously build the case,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan “We thank our federal partners for their dogged pursuit of human traffickers.”

“Forced labor is a direct assault on human…

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Khan persuaded victims to meet him at isolated spots, where he would rape or sexually abuse them, saying he would be possessed or disguised as a jinn, or supernatural spirit.

A former imam who coerced his victims, some as young as 12, into believing he had supernatural powers, has been found guilty of 21 sexual offences, including nine counts of rape.

Abdul Halim Khan, 54, of Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green, in east London, used his position as a respected faith leader to abuse multiple women and girls between 2004 and 2015, the Metropolitan Police said.

He was convicted of nine counts of rape, four counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, five counts of rape of a child under 13 and one count of assault by penetration at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday.

Khan persuaded victims to meet him…

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Editor’s note: The following report contains a description of sexual abuse and may be unsuitable for certain audiences.

A former D.C. student, who is now 22 years old, recently took to social media to level allegations of sex abuse against his former coach, a teacher at Banneker High School.

The accusation has left parents and students upset, and the school sent a letter home to parents saying the teacher is now on leave.

On the same day that letter went out, the man behind the allegations sat down to talk with WTOP about what happened.

Rashad Williams said he was 17 years old at the time of the incident. He said it happened in July 2020, though he doesn’t know exactly when. That’s also the timeline listed in a report taken by D.C. police, which otherwise offers few details.

Williams said the incident took place at the coach’s home. He…

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Case ‘driven by mixed motives, some of which may not be related to student welfare,’ says Franciscan priest

A Catholic priest serving as a school principal was assaulted by parents and later arrested by police in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, after molestation complaints were made against him by several students.

Father Arisher Joseph, the principal of St. Francis School in Khuntakheda, Rampur district, was arrested on Feb. 16, but released the same day after being granted bail.

The First Information Report recorded by the police mentions that the case came to light after parents noticed that their children were “hesitant and fearful” about going to school.

When questioned, many students alleged that Joseph would call them individually to his office about mistakes made or misbehavior in classrooms. It is alleged he would inappropriately touch them, saying this was “a form of punishment to discipline them.”

The police report said things came to…

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Harvest Christian Fellowship funded Paul Havsgaard’s ministry. Then they allegedly ignored warnings of abuse and exploitation.

There are church scandals, and then there are the jaw-dropping allegations being made against one of the largest megachurches in America.

The allegations involve California’s Harvest Christian Fellowship, led by Pastor Greg Laurie, and his former right-hand man, Pastor Paul Havsgaard. While news reports on the allegation have been coming out at a steady drip since September, we now have a response from Havsgaard himself.

The details are damning. In short, Harvest Christian Fellowship funded the creation of several Romanian orphanages, led by Havsgaard. But due to a lack of proper oversight from the church, children who stayed at the buildings now say Havsgaard sexually abused them for years.

The complaints, filed [in September] by 33-year-old Marian Barbu and 40-year-old Mihai-Constantin Petcu, said former Harvest Christian Fellowship pastor and missionary Paul Havsgaard severely abused them and dozens of other children…

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 Prince George’s County school employee Xaviour Smith was indicted in federal court Thursday on child sexual abuse charges.

The 28-year-old is accused of coercing three minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions between March and August 2025, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

Smith is the founder of 1011 Dance Academy in Temple Hills, which serves eight through 18-year-olds.

He faces five counts of producing child sex abuse materials, and if convicted, could spend a minimum of 15 years and maximum of 30 years in federal person.

Prince George’s County Public Schools told 7News that Smith is on leave. Here’s their full statement:

“We were informed today of the federal indictment of one of our employees, Xaviour Smith. Mr. Smith is currently on leave. As this is a personnel matter, we are unable to share…

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A Prince George’s County school employee and dance academy founder has been charged with 5 counts of producing child sex abuse material.

A dance academy founder and school employee made his initial appearance in federal court Thursday in connection to alleged child sex abuse crimes.

Xaviour Smith, 28, of Upper Marlboro has been charged with five counts of producing child sexual abuse material. Smith is the founder of 1101 Dance Academy, Inc., in Temple Hills, which serves youths aged 8 to 18. Smith also works for the Prince George’s County Public Schools.

According to the indictment, between March and August 2025, Smith persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced three minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Smith exploited the minors for the purpose of producing visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct, according to court documents.

Prince George’s County Public Schools told WUSA9 they placed Smith on leave after learning…

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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria is reminding individuals who allege sexual abuse connected to the diocese or its affiliated entities that they must file a claim by June 8, 2026, as part of the diocese’s ongoing bankruptcy case.

The diocese filed for bankruptcy as it works to restructure its nonprofit operations and address compensation for people identified in court documents as putative abuse survivors.

The case, listed as In re: Diocese of Alexandria, Case No. 25-31257 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana, includes a deadline for survivors to submit a Putative Abuse Survivor Proof of Claim.

According to the public notice, anyone who believes they were sexually abused and that the diocese or individuals affiliated with it may be responsible is required to file a claim. This includes alleged abuse connected to entities or activities associated with the…

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Leer en español 

A Polish bishop went on trial Wednesday, accused of not informing authorities immediately about alleged sexual abuse of children by two priests in his diocese.

It is the first time a Polish bishop is on trial over sexual abuse allegedly committed by priests under his authority.

The Catholic Church has long been the highest moral authority in Poland, having played an inspirational role during occupation and foreign rule and supporting the anti-communist Solidarity movement in the 1980s.

But years of reckoning with clergy abuse and decades of cover-up by religious superiors have damaged the credibility of the hierarchy, which produced Poland’s most famous Catholic, St. John Paul II.

Superiors in the church hierarchy are accused of ignoring the crimes or, in some cases, protecting priests by moving them to new posts once the scandals were made public. A 2019 report by the Polish Episcopal Conference, the central…

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After decades of alleged abuse at Vista Maria in Dearborn, eight survivors of the residential facility are speaking out, calling for accountability and encouraging others to share their stories. 

“Leadership failed us. Instead of protecting children, they protected the institution,” said Janene Tague.

At times overcome with emotion as they recounted their experiences, the eight women shared their frustrations and anger over what happened to them while they lived at the Dearborn Heights facility for vulnerable girls.

“The brochures made it look like a supportive environment where girls would walk freely, go to school, participate in activities and heal. I believed them,” said Tague.

CBS News Detroit reached out to Vista Maria for comment, but did not hear back.

Last December, the embattled facility laid off nearly 130 employees and ended its residential youth mental health programming, following dozens of complaints and violations, including allegations of physical…

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The Diocese of Camden has agreed to a $180-million settlement resolving decades of sex abuse claims made against former priests. 

The diocese is simultaneously reorganizing its finances through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Compensation for those making claims will come once the settlement is approved, attorneys said.

The deal calls for greater transparency about the scandal that affected people like Andrew Napoli.

“It’s horrific,” Napoli said. 

The Gibbstown native came from a devout Roman Catholic family. He was a student at Saint James High School in Carneys Point in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

That’s when he met the school’s principal, Father Peter Osinski. 

The sexual abuse by Osinski happened repeatedly inside the now-closed high school, and elsewhere, according to a federal lawsuit.

“And it affects your whole life,” Napoli said.

The suit alleged: “Osinski threatened Plaintiff, telling him that if he ever revealed Osinski’s violent sexual abuse, he…

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… and some parallels to the Epstein Files

The Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee will hold its first ever “Forces for Good Summit” on February 25 at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

With a full day of speakers, they’re promoting the event as one that will address the “holistic stewardship of churches,” including sexual abuse prevention.

One of the featured speakers will be Robert Showers.

Yes. Robert Showers.

I know some of you will recognize the name (and I swear I can hear you gagging), but for those who don’t know who he is, let me fill you in.

Robert Showers was an attorney for the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE), which had a missionary named Donn Ketcham, who was accused of sexually abusing many young girls and women over the course of two decades.

Eventually, with an outside investigation conducted by Professional Investigators International (PII), the reports of 18…

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A former North Tulsa pastor is sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading no contest to rape and child abuse charges involving his own daughter.

Pastor Bertheophilius Bailey, who served as pastor at St. Andrew Christian Church, will serve at least 13 years behind bars under Oklahoma’s 85% law before becoming eligible for parole.

He is also going to be on the registered sex offenders list for life.

Bailey’s daughter, Harmony Oates, testified during the sentencing hearing, delivering powerful statements to her father, including “I don’t hate you” and “I forgive you.”

“That I got justice, justice along with every other victim,” Oates said after the sentencing.

Oates said the abuse began when she was in sixth grade, with her father touching her inappropriately. Bailey wasn’t arrested for the crimes until 2024.

“I knew how to set a boundary, but whenever he’s your father and whenever he’s a pastor…

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Breaking silence. Confronting clergy abuse. 

I am baffled, as no doubt many of you are, by the high numbers of individuals holding positions of power and authority who all knew what Jeffrey Epstein was doing, yet who ignored it.

Simply put, I am astounded by the sheer multitude who said nothing, shirked personal responsibility by ignoring their moral duty, and turned a blind eye to protect themselves while failing to protect the young and vulnerable. 

Yesterday, the media ran articles about a newly uncovered file from the U.S. Justice Department’s latest release of Epstein files (and of course, there are thousands more files still not released). In particular, the focus yesterday was on an FBI interview with Donald Trump, undertaken in 2006 when Epstein’s first sex crime charges became public. The file notes that Trump called the Palm Beach police chief and was cited as saying:

“Thank goodness you’re stopping…

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Charity Baptist Church in Kannapolis, N.C., has dismissed longtime pastor Marty Payton after church leaders recently became aware of “serious allegations of a sexual nature” that occurred prior to his tenure at the church, according to a statement from the church.

The move came after the church was made aware of the allegations, which did not involve individuals in the congregation, according to the statement. 

“Charity leaders took immediate action to address the matter, ensure the safety of the congregation, and provide care for all involved,” the statement said. “Marty Payton is no longer on staff at Charity.”

Payton had been on the pastoral staff at Charity Baptist for more than 20 years, according to a since-deleted bio on the church’s website. He joined the staff at Charity in August 2004 as youth pastor and became the church’s senior pastor in August 2010 following retirement of the church’s founding pastor.

…

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Survivors and advocates joined Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Monday at the Willow Domestic Violence Center to announce new federal legislation aimed at removing legal barriers for sexual abuse and human trafficking survivors seeking justice.

“Today I’m announcing Virginia’s Law, new legislation that will end statute of limitation barriers that have kept survivors from justice for far too long,” Schumer said. ” Because justice should never expire.”

Schumer said current federal law allows an adult survivor to bring a federal claim if it is filed within 10 years of the abuse. He said the proposed legislation would allow victims of sexual abuse and trafficking to file civil claims against their abusers without a time limit.

The bill is named in honor of Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s high-profile accusers.

MORE: DOJ declares full release of Epstein Files, but list of 300 names sparks backlash

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Bishop Rick Stika, who resigned from leadership of the Diocese of Knoxville in 2023, has died.

Stika was 68 years old. He suffered from diabetes and heart problems, including a 2009 heart attack and a 2018 bypass surgery.

Stika had led the Diocese of Knoxville for almost 15 years before — amid allegations of cover-up — the Vatican requested his resignation, which was accepted by Pope Francis in June 2023.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1957, Stika was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1985.

He served in parish appointments for a number of years, as well as in the roles of chancellor, vicar general, and vicar for priests.

In 2009, he was named Bishop of Knoxville.

Stika’s tenure became tumultuous in 2021, when allegations surfaced that he had interfered with an investigation into claims of sexual assault by a seminarian.

Stika in 2021 admitted…

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A second priest who worked at St Bede’s College was accused of sexual abuse by three complainants over three decades, it can be revealed.

The priest, who “strenuously denied” the allegations, was rector at the school for more than a decade and worked alongside a priest who was recently revealed as sexually abusing four boys.

The school’s current rector says the matter is “distressing”, and that any form of abuse is “unacceptable”.

RNZ earlier revealed that former priest Rowan Donoghue had admitted six charges including indecent assault on a boy aged 12-16, indecent assault on a boy 16 and over and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection. He is awaiting sentencing.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

The offending related to four boys who were boarding at St Bede’s College in Christchurch between 1996 and 2000.

It can now be revealed that another priest, Fr Brian Cummings, was also accused of…

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