ABUSE TRACKER

An alleged cult leader had his first federal court appearance Thursday, a day after being arrested during a raid of his lavish Columbia County mansion.

The man known as Rony Denis is accused of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and aiding and assisting in filing a false tax return.

The church he founded is known as the House of Prayer Christian Church, but critics claim it’s a cult meant to lure service members and veterans.

Authorities say the aim was to drain veterans’ federal financial benefits to enrich the church and its leaders with such luxuries as an 11,000-square-foot West Lake mansion Denis lived in – one of his three homes – and his use of a Rolls-Royce.

And the money isn’t the only thing Denis is accused of stealing. Authorities say he stole someone’s identity in 1983 – so his name…

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A prominent Florida Assemblies of God (AG) pastor, who allegedly has left a stream of unreported child sex abuse cases in his wake, has finally been charged by police.

Mark Vega, the senior pastor at Ignite Life Center church in Gainesville, “intentionally endeavored” to hide multiple reports of child abuse, according to a sworn complaint filed with the Gainesville police department. 

Under Florida law, anyone who suspects child abuse is required to report this to authorities. And certain professionals, including those who rely “on spiritual means for healing,” must provide their names when reporting.

Police charged Vega, 55, with the third-degree felony on Aug. 20, according to Alachua County Circuit Court records.

Vega, who has yet to be taken into custody, is an influential AG leader who has been praised within the denomination as a pastor to emulate.

Vega previously…

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The defendants are accused of manipulating church members, misusing funds, and enriching themselves at the expense of others.

A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia has indicted a pastor associated with the House of Prayer Christian Church of America on multiple sex offenses involving a minor.

On Wednesday, a federal court unsealed a five-count indictment against Bernadel Semexant, 35, of Hinesville and Savannah. The charges include enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, sexual abuse of a minor, transfer of obscene material to a minor, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

The charges carry significant penalties:

• Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity: 10 years to life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release.
• Sexual Abuse of a Minor: Up to 15 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least…

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Naasón Joaquín García and his associates used La Luz del Mundo Church to traffic women and children and produce and distribute child pornography, New York prosecutors said.

Manhattan federal prosecutors charged on Wednesday that the leader of a Mexico-based church that claims more than one million followers led a criminal enterprise that for decades sexually abused generations of church members and then destroyed the evidence.

A federal racketeering conspiracy indictment unsealed in Manhattan charged that the church leader, Naasón Joaquín García, 56, and five associates used the La Luz del Mundo Church to sex-traffic women and children and produce and distribute child pornography, among other crimes. His 79-year-old mother was among those charged Wednesday.

Mr. García is already serving a 16-year, eight-month state sentence after pleading guilty in California in 2022 to three felony counts of sexual assault involving three different minors.

The federal charges allege that the wrongdoing went far…

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Damian Murray tells Westminster Confidential about his long battle with the Roman Catholic charity which covered up child sex abuse for 11 years

This is a story of the concealment and denial of child sex abuse by a charismatic principal of a college and religious charity who escaped justice in his lifetime and the failure of many organisations, including the Charity Commission and the charity to do anything about it.

Father Kevin O’Neill, a Marist priest, was principal of the Roman Catholic St Mary’s College in Blackburn. It was closed down in 2022 with £8.2 million debts reportedly caused by falling student numbers. It had been propped up by the last Tory government with emergency funding since 2020.

He was principal of the college from 1978 to 1993 and worked in Blackburn since 1964. He was born in Barking, east London and attended the Roman Catholic St Mary’s College in…

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Rochester and Syracuse settlements included conditions for child-protection rules, prohibiting church staff from being alone with minors.

The Diocese of Buffalo has until October 1 to submit a new plan to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, following a tentative $272 million settlement agreement reached with survivors of sexual abuse.

While the size of the payout has drawn headlines, survivors say the most meaningful reforms could come through “non-monetary commitments” or rules aimed at protecting children and releasing decades of church records.

RELATED: Buffalo Catholic Diocese to have armed security guards at all elementary schools

Abuse survivor Kevin Koscielniak said the public deserves to know how the Catholic Church allowed abuse to persist for decades.

“These are crimes that were committed against children from an institution that was supposed to be so trusting and so worthy and so good,” Koscielniak said. “The public needs…

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Victims of clergy sex abuse got their chance to testify against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany on Wednesday.

Hearings are being held in bankruptcy court after the diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after facing more than 400 lawsuits regarding clergy sex abuse. They allege decades of abuse and cover-ups from church officials.

The first person to testify, Jason Whitney, told NewsChannel 13 that the abuse started when he was 9 years old and continued for more than three years.

“I never actually thought I’d be here, but it feels good because there’s a stigma. Most men don’t want to come forward for things like this. There’s that worry that people are going to think down on them, but I’m good,” he said.

His attorney, Audrey Raphael, said she hopes that the court and church will listen and understand the impact of what happened to children like Jason when…

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A dozen victim impact statements were shared Wednesday in the Albany federal courthouse regarding alleged sexual abuse at the hands of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany.

“Today was the first time in this case, in this sterile bankruptcy process that survivors, who the case is about, will have a voice,” said Taylor Stippel Sloan, an attorney with Jeff Anderson and Associates.

Alleged sexual abuse victims shared incredibly emotional and vulnerable stories of sexual abuse for the first time in court on Wednesday. Attorney Cynthia LaFave and Sloan represent a total of 190 people who filed lawsuits against the Albany Diocese for alleged sexual abuse. Most of this came about in 2019 when the New York State Child Victim Act made it possible for people to file lawsuits years after abuse occurred, temporarily lifting the statute of limitations.

Since then, over 400 child abuse lawsuits have been filed against the Albany Diocese,…

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“I handed my son over to the devil,” Joe Alarcon told me during an interview for BNG’s upcoming podcast, “Non-Disclosure,” which features interviews from survivors and their families about the serial sexual abuse that occurred at Kamp Kanakuk. Alarcon’s son, Ashton, is one of the survivors featured in the podcast.

The “devil” he was referring to was Peter “Pete” Newman, a serial child sexual predator who worked at Kamp Kanakuk and was convicted on felony charges in 2010 for sexually abusing 57 boys during his tenure there. Today, the victim advocacy organization Facts About Kanakuk says the number of survivors is at least in the hundreds, although some crime experts believe it’s possible there are thousands of Kanakuk abuse survivors.

For years, many families believed Newman’s abuse was just a one-off thing. He was just one bad apple, and when Kanakuk leaders learned of the abuse they reacted immediately to prevent…

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Michael King, 65, was arrested after a three-month-long investigation.

A man was arrested after a months-long investigation into inappropriate acts with children in Rowan County.

Michael King, 65, was arrested on Tuesday by the Salisbury Police Department. King faces charges of indecent liberties with a minor, second-degree rape, and rape by a custodian.

The incidents happened at multiple locations, including the Damascus Emmanuel Pentecostal Church, according to police.

King was arrested after a three-month investigation. He is being held in Rowan County jail with no bond.

 “The hard work of our investigators in bringing this case forward deserves recognition,” Salisbury Police Chief P.J. Smith said. “At the same time, it is profoundly concerning when a person in a position of trust is accused of violating that trust.”

Salisbury police are encouraging further victims to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to contact the department at 704-638-5211 or…

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A pastor entered a plea Monday on charges stemming from a human trafficking investigation at a central Pennsylvania massage parlor.

Online court records show Stephen Melton, 66, of Mechanicsburg, pleaded “nolo contendere” to trafficking in individuals – Recruit/entice/etc. Labor Servitude and guilty of patronizing prostitutes charges.

A “nolo contendere” plea means that the defendant does not admit guilt, but he waives his right to a trial and accepts whatever penalty he is given.

Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 21, court records show.

Melton visited GL Massage Spa close to 70 times over a five-month period, court documents filed by the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office show.

Melton claimed he was concerned about the employees being trafficked, and he would bring them flowers, food, and clothing, according to the charging documents. He also told investigators that it was convenient for him to go there before he went to work.

Investigators said…

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The longtime head of a Mexican megachurch who is serving more than 16 years in a California prison for sexually abusing young followers has been charged with racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking for allegedly victimizing members of the church for decades, federal authorities said Wednesday.

A New York grand jury returned the indictment alleging that Naasón Joaquín García, 56, and five others, including his 79-year-old mother, exploited the church for decades, enabling the systemic sexual abuse of children and women for the sexual gratification of García and his father, who died in 2014.

García is the head of La Luz del Mundo (The Light of the World), which claims to have 5 million followers in more than 50 countries. Believers consider him to be the “apostle” of Jesus Christ.

The newly unsealed indictment said the criminal activity included the creation of photos and videos of child sexual abuse and had begun after…

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There’s been another delay in the case of a Roman Catholic priest charged with sexual assault.

But the Crown has promised it will be a brief one.

Now-51-year-old Thomas Offong was charged in December 2023 with one count of sexual assault against an adult woman — alleged to have occurred a month earlier in Avondale.

Offong pleaded not guilty and a one-day trial was scheduled for this past March, but it was postponed when the prosecutor took ill.

It was set over again in August but in provincial court today the Crown asked for one more “brief enlargement” to finalize its position, with the defence confirming they’re close to a resolution in the case.

Meanwhile, 21 months have now passed since Offong was charged, putting the case three months over the legal Jordan limit.

Offong has served in Avondale, Colliers, Conception Harbour and Burin, but also the Grand Falls-Windsor area,…

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A DFW-area pastor and Christian social media influencer is under fire after being arrested and charged earlier this week.  

Alonzo Diego Fuller, 39, and his wife, Asia, have led Journey Fort Worth Church since 2022. Fuller has promoted his music and shared sermons to his expanding social media following while leading the church, which meets in a local elementary school. 

The Dallas Morning News reported that Fuller was held in the Tarrant County jail Monday on a second-degree felony charge of sexual assault stemming from an alleged incident in June 2025. He was released on a $40,000 bond that same day.

Elders from Journey Fort Worth Church released a statement in a Facebook post about Fuller’s arrest on Monday. They shared that they’d been made “aware of serious allegations” made against the pastor by a former church member but that Fuller…

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A local pastor charged with public indecency for engaging in a sex act with a woman in a public park has pleaded not guilty.

Defense Attorney Allen Werstiuk entered the plea through writing ahead of Tuesday’s scheduled arraignment of Aaron Williams Jr., 56, of Ontario.

Williams is scheduled for trial on Nov. 20 before Mansfield Municipal Court Judge David Badnell. He is the pastor at Maddox Memorial Church of God in Christ.

In Ohio, a third-degree misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of a $500 fine and 60 days in jail.

More: Mansfield pastor charged with public indecency, ‘engaging in sex act’ in public park

Clearfork Reservoir Police Chief Scott Kotterman reported seeing two people in the rear seat of a vehicle in a picnic area while on patrol the afternoon of Aug. 30.

A 46-year-old woman also was charged with public indecency. The News…

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In short:

Former Catholic Priest John Sidney Denham has died in a NSW prison hospital.

Denham was found guilty of abusing 40 children, mostly at St Pius X College in Newcastle in the 1970s and 80s.

NSW prison officials confirmed he died on Friday.

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One of Australia’s most prolific paedophile priests has died in prison.

In 2008, John Sidney Denham was charged by the nation’s first police strike dedicated to targeting abuse by members of the clergy.

In 2010, the defrocked Catholic priest was sentenced to 13 years and 10 months’ jail for the abuse of 39 boys and was given extra jail time in 2015 after more instances of abuse came to light.

Many of Denham’s victims have taken their own lives and one of the deaths sparked the child abuse royal commission.

Denham’s crimes occurred mostly at Newcastle’s St Pius X College, now known as Trinity College, in…

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A former chaplain for the New York Yankees has been charged with failing to report allegations of child sex abuse to authorities.

Mark Vega, 55, who now works as the senior pastor of Ignite Life Center church in Gainesville, Fla., did not share multiple reports of sex abuse at the church with law enforcement, according to a complaint filed in Alachua County Circuit Court on Aug. 20. Any person with knowledge of sex abuse of minors is required by Florida law to report to authorities, and failure to report is a felony.

Vega, who has not been arrested, did not immediately respond to messages from The Athletic.

The Gainesville Police Department confirmed that it submitted a sworn complaint to the State Attorney regarding the charge of failing to report suspected child abuse, abandonment or neglect. Ignite Life Center is affiliated with the Assemblies of God, a global Pentecostal denomination.

According…

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In 2012, after years of research, amateur historian Catherine Corless published an astonishing story in a local history journal detailing that 798 children had died at St. Mary’s Mother and Baby Home in this small town in Galway County. 

Even more shocking was Corless’ determination that all but two of the infants and young children were likely buried in a mass unmarked grave, part of which may have functioned as a sewage system.

Now, 13 years after the publication of her article, “The Home,” an excavation on behalf of Galway County Council is underway to try to recover the remains of the children buried at the home, which was run by the Bons Secours Sisters from 1925 to 1961. Six weeks into the excavation began in mid-July, the realization that the dig is actually happening “is still sinking in,” Corless said in an interview. 

The first tranche of…

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Documents from the Paradise and Pandora Papers leaks showed the “full extent” of the hidden financial schemes set up by Marcial Maciel, a priest found to have molested at least 60 children.

A new documentary series about the powerful Catholic priest behind the Legion of Christ religious order draws on the work of ICIJ and its partners to explore the sect’s scandalous history, including allegations of child sexual abuse and financial malfeasance.

Released on HBO’s streaming service last month, Marcial Maciel: the Wolf of God (Marcial Maciel: el lobo de Dios) is a four-episode series that shows how the late Marcial Maciel Degollado went from being a small-town priest in Mexico to creating an organization so large and influential within the Catholic Church that, at its peak, it amassed a $650 million yearly budget financed by wealthy patrons. The Legion of Christ built schools and universities in North…

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A Texas youth pastor accused of sexually abusing two girls and silencing them with threats of eternal damnation is facing more legal trouble. 

On Aug. 26, a Lubbock County Grand Jury returned an indictment against youth pastor Luke Cunningham, charging him with 16 counts of sexual assault of a child. That’s on top of charges for aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault of a child that Cunningham was slapped with last year. 

Cunningham’s charges stem from a litany of sexual assaults that prosecutors say occurred as far back as 2016. Last summer, news station KCBD revealed allegations that Cunningham had touched a girl’s genitals while serving as a youth pastor at Lubbock’s Turning Point Community Church in January of 2016. Prosecutors also say Cunningham later raped that same child in Oct. 2018, an instance during which he used his hands as deadly weapons….

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After the Archdiocese of New Orleans increased its settlement offer to clergy sexual abuse claimants from $180 million to $230 million on Sept. 8, attorneys of the victims urged their clients to accept the deal.

The archdiocese was able to increase its initial offer, announced in May, after securing a buyer for the $50 million sale of Christopher Homes, a property that has provided affordable housing and assisted living to low-income and senior citizens in the Gulf Coast area for the last 50 years.

“We knew we could do better, and we have,” said attorneys Richard Trahant, Soren Gisleson, John Denenea, and several other attorneys who represent about 200 of the 660 claimants.

The attorneys, who said the initial settlement was “dead on arrival,” urged their clients to hold out for a better offer, saying that they deserved closer to $300 million, a figure similar to the $323 million paid…

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The Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin, denied accusations of a cover-up following the recent arrest of a Madison priest for alleged sex crimes.

Father Andrew Showers, 37, was arrested last month after an undercover operation by local police found that he allegedly attempted to meet with a 14-year-old girl for sex.

Showers has since been charged with attempted child enticement, attempted use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, and attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child under 16 years of age. 

In a separate case only recently made public, 23-year-old Patricia Moriarty had filed a police report alleging that Showers sexually assaulted her in January 2024. Moriarty’s father, John Moriarty, reported the incident to the diocese shortly after but did not provide the name of the priest or a copy of the police report, according to the diocese.

The victims advocacy group Nate’s Mission…

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The First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte, North Carolina has dismissed its senior pastor after an investigation showed a five-year history of committing adultery, then trying to cover it up.

The Christian Post reported that Pendleton Barnes Peery, a sixth-generation Presbyterian minister, was recently dismissed as senior pastor for breaking his marriage and ordination vows.  

According to WCCB-TV, an independent Charlotte station, Peery admitted to breaking his marriage vows in a letter to the congregation.

A church investigative committee reported Peery faces two charges of adultery and two charges of wrongful concealment of inappropriate conduct, WCCB reported.

The  Christian Post said that the Charlotte Presbytery was tipped off to Peery’s behavior by an informant. It then conducted an investigation without the knowledge of First Presbyterian leaders.

First Presbyterian has sent an email to its congregants saying the investigation found Peery had  View Cache

More charges have been filed against a former Lubbock youth pastor accused of sexually abusing two girls then telling them that if they told anyone about the crime the people they told would face eternal damnation.

A Lubbock County Grand Jury on Aug. 26 returned an indictment against Luke Cunningham charging him with 16 counts of sexual assault of a child.

Cunningham has been held at the Lubbock County Detention Center since June 20, 2024 after a warrant for his arrest was issued the day before.

Two weeks later, a grand jury returned indictments against him charging him with one count of aggravated sexual assault and three counts of sexual assault of a child.

He is accused of sexually assaulting a teenager about Jan. 8, 2017. The second charge accuses him of raping a different teenager on Oct. 17, 2018 during which he used his hands as deadly weapons. The…

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 A Santa Ana pastor was convicted Monday of sexually assaulting three girls he met through churches in Riverside, Garden Grove and Santa Ana.

Carlos Ramirez Valdez, 61, was arrested in 2021. He was convicted of seven counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a minor younger than 14 and three counts of oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child 10 or younger, all felonies. Jurors also found true a sentencing enhancement for multiple victims.

Valdez was pastor of International Mission Church USA at 505 S. Main St., police said. From 2014-2017, he was a member of Iglesia De Dios Ebenezer Church at 2020 W. Chestnut Ave. in Santa Ana, police said.

At that church he lured an 8-year-old girl into a van during a service and sexually assaulted her, police said. Valdez repeatedly assaulted the girl in the van over a period of three years, police said.

The girl…

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Mark Vega, a former chaplain for the New York Yankees, is accused of covering up abuse allegations at his church, Ignite Life Center.

This article is part of “Pastors and Prey,” a series investigating sex abuse allegations in the Assemblies of God.

Police in Florida have charged a prominent Assemblies of God pastor with “knowingly and willfully” failing to report allegations of child sex abuse to authorities.

Mark Vega, 55, senior pastor of Ignite Life Center church in Gainesville and a former chaplain for the New York Yankees, “intentionally endeavored” to prevent reports of sex abuse at his church from reaching police, according to an Aug. 20 complaint filed in Alachua County Circuit Court. Under Florida law, any person with knowledge of child abuse is required to report to authorities; failure to do so is a felony.

Vega, who has not been…

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Canadian religious order says assault case should be considered by canonical tribunal

The Congregation of St. Basil has appealed a Canadian judge’s August 7 decision to allow a lawsuit to proceed against the congregation and its prominent member Fr. Thomas Rosica.

The lawsuit, filed in Ontario in March 2024, alleges that Rosica sexually assaulted a young priest who was helping him with preparation for the 2002 World Youth Day celebrations.

The lawsuit also charges that Rosica’s religious order, the Congregation of St. Basil, failed to properly supervise Rosica, and ignored complaints about his inappropriate interactions with young men.

Rosica, who denies the allegations, had asked the Canadian court to toss the lawsuit, because the case should be addressed exclusively in a canonical court.

Attorneys for Rosica and the Basilian Fathers argued that “the Court has no jurisdiction over the subject matter of this dispute as the Plaintiff and Fr. Rosica…

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An 88-year-old Virginia pastor was sentenced Monday to eight years in prison for child sex crimes, after a judge greatly reduced it from 55 years. According to Richmond County Circuit Court records, a plea deal allowed the pastor, who had previously faced 31 charges, to receive the shorter sentence.

Albert “Ben” Wharton, pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Warsaw, Virginia, from 1976-2002, pleaded guilty to eight of the counts against him, court records showed.

Wharton had previously been charged with 23 counts of aggravated sexual battery with a victim under 13 and eight counts of committing indecent acts with a child, according to court records. His crimes occurred at a school operated by Victory Baptist.

A circuit court judge originally handed down a 55-year sentence to Wharton, then suspended his sentence to just eight years behind bars. After his release at the age…

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The allegations of abuse date back decades.

A 15-year-old, then a student at the famed, all-boys Delbarton Catholic prep school in Morristown, claimed he was sexually assaulted by one of the Benedictine monks of St. Mary’s Abbey who oversee the school.

According to court papers, the student — identified only by his initials — reported the abuse the following year to the abbot who headed the school. He told the abbot the Rev. Richard Lott had sexually assaulted him and plied him and other students with alcohol, pornography and drugs.

Yet nothing was immediately done in response. Nor, as it would turn out, would any action be taken in response to similar complaints of sexual abuse lodged by other students over time, attorneys say.

More than 40 years later, the former student finally brought his allegations to court in a civil lawsuit against the…

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Lawyers for both sides gave their opening arguments on Sept. 9 in the lawsuit against Delbarton, the all-boys Catholic school in Morristown, where several former students have come forward with accusations of sex abuse by clergy.

The landmark trial is significant as it’s the first of hundreds of civil sexual abuse cases against the Catholic Church in New Jersey to go to trial. It’s also the first of 39 lawsuits against the prestigious school, where celebrities and other well-heeled parents around North Jersey send their sons to be educated for an annual $48,000 tuition.

Opening statements were delivered at the Morris County Courthouse in Morristown for the case, which was filed by a former student known by the initials T.M., or Tom. He is seeking damages from the institution.

Now in his 60s, T.M. alleges that he was abused by the Rev. Richard Lott, a Benedictine monk at…

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The Maryland Supreme Court on Friday heard about 2 1/2 hours of legal argument over whether the names of more than a dozen people contained in a report that details decades of allegations of sexual abuse and cover-ups within the Archdiocese of Baltimore can be made public.

Until now, the litigation has largely played out under seal. It’s unclear when the justices will issue their decision.

In 2023, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown released the 456-page report, which alleges that 156 priests and other personnel committed “horrific and repeated abuse” of vulnerable children as church leadership turned a blind eye. The names of 46 people initially were blacked out.

Baltimore Circuit Judge Robert K. Taylor Jr. later ruled the identities of all but three of them could be disclosed.

Brown then released a revised version of…

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Key Takeaways:

• Maryland Supreme Court hears challenges to clergy abuse report.
• Church officials argue reputational harm from unredacted release of names.
• State defends attorney general’s authority to investigate abuse.

Lawyers for Catholic clergy and other church leaders argued Friday that the Maryland Office of
the Attorney General abused its power in its investigation of child sexual abuse within the
Archdiocese of Baltimore and its publication of a report on its findings.

The Maryland Supreme Court on Friday heard arguments in three separate but similar cases brought by current or former church officials whose names would be included in the AG’s report on abuse within the archdiocese if it is allowed to publish an unredacted version. They have not been charged with crimes or accused of abuse, but the state contends they enabled abuse or did too little to prevent it.

The cases present a conflict between the reputational rights of uncharged people and…

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The diocese said the person making the complaint declined to give the name of the priest, making it impossible to follow up on the allegations.

The Diocese of Madison has denied claims that it covered up a previous allegation of sexual assault against a priest arrested last month for attempting to meet a minor for sex.

In a September 5 statement, the diocese confirmed that a man had contacted the diocese last year to make an allegation against an unnamed Madison priest and was put in contact with appropriate diocesan officials.

That priest later was identified as Fr. Andrew Showers, who was arrested last month on unconnected charges, for allegedly attempting to meet with nefarious intentions a 14-year-old girl.

Following that arrest, a young woman and her father accused the diocese of failing to act last year on an allegation against Showers.

But the diocese said Saturday that while a…

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In the course of the summer, the U.S. bishops gather at different events, going on regional retreats, attending the Knights of Columbus convention, or celebrations of ordination anniversaries. This past summer, I have learned, there was some campaigning going on to make sure that Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City would be elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops at their November plenary meeting.

It is understandable why some bishops would support Coakley. He is approachable and attractive, a fine speaker, and he knows how to run a meeting. Still, electing him president is a terrible idea.

First, Coakley was one of the 40 or so prelates who issued statements supporting then-Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, when Viganò issued his “testimony” accusing Pope Francis of covering up the crimes of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and, worse, calling on the pope to resign. The document made…

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As previous complaints have emerged about an accused priest recently arrested in an online sting operation, a Wisconsin diocese has said “there is no cover-up.”

Bishop Donald Hying of Madison, Wisconsin, issued a Sept. 6 message in both English and Spanish to faithful, saying he was “devastated” and “heartbroken” by allegations against Fr. Andrew Showers, who is now completely restricted from all public ministry and barred from having contact with minors as a police investigation continues.

The bishop and the diocese also issued statements clarifying their responses to 2021 and 2024 complaints about Showers, which respectively involved a penitent-clergy exchange with a minor during confession and the alleged groping of an adult woman at a public event.

Showers — who had been director of the diocese’s Office of Worship and parochial vicar for Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Madison — was arrested Aug. 24 and later charged with child enticement, use of a…

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[Includes a very brief video from the interview.]

Penguin Random House announced Monday that notoriously media-shy Pope Leo XIV has given his first-ever papal interview to Crux Senior Correspondent Elise Ann Allen as part of her new biography of the pontiff.

Titled León XIV: ciudadano del mundo, misionero del siglo XXI, or “Leo XIV: Citizen of the World, Missionary of the XXI Century,” the book will be published by Penguin Peru in Spanish Sept. 18 and will be available in bookstores nationwide.

English and Portuguese editions of the book, which will hit bookstores in Spain, Mexico and Colombia this fall, will be released in early 2026. Select excerpts of the pope’s interview will be released in Spanish and English Sept. 14, ahead of the book’s publication.

Since his election to the papacy May 8, history’s first North American pope and the first pope to hold Peruvian citizenship has emerged as a quiet personality…

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The Archdiocese of New Orleans has moved closer to a resolution of its long-running bankruptcy case, announcing a proposed multimillion dollar settlement for abuse claimants Sept. 8.

In its press release, the archdiocese said “individuals who experienced sexual abuse” involving either the archdiocese or one of its 157 affiliated Catholic organizations — including “parishes, schools, academies, Catholic Charities organizations, and other ministries” — could be eligible for compensation under a proposed settlement trust.

Claims can be filed for any “unwanted sexual behavior, contact, comments, or any conduct that was sexual in nature, whether or not it was recognized as abuse at the time,” said the archdiocese.

Those who had not already filed a claim in the bankruptcy case or served the archdiocese with a lawsuit by Aug. 14 must have their claims filed and received by Dec. 2 at 11:59 p.m. (Central time) or face possible “permanent loss of the right…

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Nearly a dozen attorneys who collectively represent more than 200 clergy sex abuse survivors in the Archdiocese of New Orleans bankruptcy have thrown their support behind a proposed settlement plan, signaling the long- running case could come to a close by the end of the year.

In court documents filed Monday, the group of survivors and their attorneys signed on to a revised settlement plan, which already has the support of the official court-appointed committee for all 650 abuse survivors and three of four church insurance companies.

Under the terms of the settlement, the archdiocese would pay $230 million into a trust for survivors, funded, in part, by a guaranteed $50 million from the anticipated sale of Christopher Homes, a group of church-owned apartment complexes for low-income seniors. Earlier versions of the plan included estimated proceeds from the apartment sale but no guaranteed amount.

The plan also would entitle…

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The New Orleans Archdiocese on Monday agreed to a $230 million proposed settlement for survivors of clergy sexual abuse, attorneys for some of the survivors said Monday. The agreement paves the way for a final resolution to yearslong negotiations amid a series of similar settlements from the Catholic Church.

The archdiocese had announced in May that it would pay at least $179.2 million in response to more than 500 abuse claims, which the bloc of attorneys said they opposed because they considered it to be lowballing the hundreds of survivors.

“We knew this was a bad deal, and we knew we could do better; and we have,” the group of 10 attorneys said in a statement. “The ‘power of no’ forced the Archdiocese to come up with significantly more money.”

The archdiocese had filed for bankruptcy in May 2020 rather than handle each abuse claim separately, which survivors point out allows church…

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The start of the Catholic Church’s “Sexual Devolution” could be dated quite precisely, to July 29, 2013.

That’s when Pope Francis, speaking to reporters on the papal plane back to the Vatican from Brazil, was asked about a “gay lobby” of homosexual priests in the Vatican. As NCR’s then-Vatican correspondent John L. Allen Jr. wrote at the time, Francis dismissed that idea and said of gay people, “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?”

“Who am I to judge?” became the bumper sticker for his papacy, a sign of the mercy that Francis wanted to emphasize and the humility that we should all have before casting stones at others. The phrase also became a reference point for conservatives furious that Francis was giving a green light to homosexuality (and much else, they thought) and for liberals…

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[Brief video of comments by survivor John McHugh and Bishop Salvatore Matano.]

Sept. 5’s hearing will ensure payouts of $246 million to survivors of abuse and sexual abuse by priests, nuns and church officials in the Diocese of Rochester.

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One of the nation’s largest sexual abuse settlements unfolded in a federal bankruptcy court in Rochester, New York, on Friday, bringing about resolution for the nearly 500 survivors of child sex abuse by clergy within the Diocese of Rochester.

After a six-year legal battle, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York approved a $246 million settlement, which will average approximately $500,000 per survivor.

The settlement concludes a process that began when the diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019 following the passage of the New York Child Victims Act, which allows abuse victims to file civil lawsuits until they are 55 years old. The law temporarily lifted the statute of limitations, enabling survivors to pursue claims against their abusers.

Bankruptcy attorney Ilan Scharf described the day as a “milestone for survivors in the Rochester area after being the first bankruptcy filed in…

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The 1953 Alfred Hitchcock film “I Confess,” based on an earlier play, features a priest suspected of murder. He’s innocent, and has even heard the murderer’s confession — but cannot clear his own name.

The Catholic sacrament of reconciliation, also known as penance or confession, has been a compelling set piece for fiction writers over the ages, from medieval novels to contemporary films. One reason the practice has intrigued both authors and audiences is the dramatic potential of the “seal of the confessional” — that is, the requirement that priests not disclose any identifying information about what they have heard during confession.

Recently, this sacrament has garnered nonfictional attention. Washington state passed a law on reporting child abuse, which was scheduled to go into effect in July 2025. In some circumstances, the law requires clergy to report abuse or neglect, even if it is revealed during…

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The Name of the Accused Priest Was Never Provided to the Diocese of Madison

At a press conference held by the organizations Nate’s Mission and SNAP on September 4, 2025, a woman came forward to say that, in January of 2024, she was assaulted by Fr. Andrew Showers, a priest of the Diocese of Madison. Last week, Fr. Showers was arrested in Clintonville, Wisconsin on separate charges. It is devastating to learn of this additional allegation. However, some statements made during the press conference stand in need of important corrections and clarifications, especially the unfounded accusation that Bishop Donald Hying and the Diocese of Madison are perpetrating a cover-up concerning the actions of Fr. Showers. To be clear: there is no cover-up, and in the Diocese of Madison’s continued commitment to transparency and truth, we offer the following corrections, responses, and supporting documentation.

Regarding the alleged sexual assault of an…

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The Diocese of Madison’s response to Thursday’s press conference is a textbook example of victim-blaming. To suggest that Ms. Moriarty and her father are responsible for the church’s failure to act because they did not feel comfortable with diocesan reporting procedures is deeply offensive. Survivors and their families should never be expected to place their trust in the same institution that has knowingly allowed abusers to remain in ministry and repeatedly misled the public. Bishop Hying’s refusal to return Mr. Moriarty’s phone call is not just a personal slight – it is an abdication of leadership

Bishop Hying insists he had “no way to act” without additional details, but that is false. When a parent contacts the diocese to report that a priest sexually assaulted his daughter, leadership has an obligation to take proactive steps to protect others from harm. The Diocese of Madison has the resources and authority…

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[Play Video]

MADISON (WKOW) — The Diocese of Madison has issued a statement addressing allegations of sexual assault against Fr. Andrew Showers, who is charged in a separate case with child sex crimes.

The statement comes after new testimony earlier this week from a woman who claimed Showers groped her under her clothes and made sexually inappropriate comments in 2024. You can read our full coverage of that story here. 

In its release, the Diocese said it was “devastating to learn of this additional allegation,” adding that it “prayerfully supports and stands behind those who have suffered harm, especially at the hands of those entrusted to pastorally care for us.”

The diocese also rejected accusations made during a press conference by advocacy groups that church officials attempted a cover-up. “To be clear: there is no cover-up, and in the Diocese of Madison’s continued commitment to…

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The Diocese of Madison has responded to the recent allegations brought against a Madison priest accused of child sex crimes.

[To see the Madison bishop’s response, click here.]

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – The Diocese of Madison has responded to the recent allegations brought against a Madison priest accused of child sex crimes. 37-year-old Andrew Showers was arrested last month following an undercover operation by Clintonville police. Authorities say the priest tried to meet up with what he thought was a 14-year-old girl for sex.

On Thursday, a woman brought forth allegations from a separate incident involving Showers. In January 2024, Patricia Moriarty alleges that she was out with friends in Chicago when Showers introduced himself to her as a priest. She claims he then groped her underneath her clothes and talked to her in a sexually inappropriate manner.

Moriarty shared her story on the…

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Sex abuse survivors react after judge confirms settlement against Catholic Diocese of Rochester

[For video, click here.]

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Carol Dupre’ has worn black every day for the last four years. She is one of 475 survivors in the sex abuse bankruptcy case against the Rochester Catholic Diocese. Today, after six years, the case closed and Carol wore white.

“I’m going to have some color put back in my life now,” Carol said.

Berkeley Brean, News10NBC: “Carol, what does the white symbolize for you?”

Carol Dupre’, survivor: “It’s the opposite of black. It’s a purity.”

The color drained from Carol’s life when she was abused by a priest as a 15-year-old girl. One by one, survivors walked out of the federal building. Moments before they left, Federal Judge Paul Warren had the confirmation order on his desk.

“Are you prepared for me to sign this order?” he…

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Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) — A bankruptcy judge has approved a $246 million settlement plan between survivors of sexual abuse and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, marking the end of a nearly six-year legal battle.

Carol DuPré, a 78-year-old survivor, expressed relief as the settlement was finalized.

“When it was over, we just, we just hugged people we didn’t know, because we knew that they’d been through the same thing we’d been through,” said DuPré.

The settlement involves more than 500 survivors, with many cases dating back decades. They emerged under the Child Victims Act, which allowed survivors to pursue legal action despite the statute of limitations having passed.

DuPré said the confirmation of the settlement provides closure for survivors.

“I think that that’s more harmful sometimes than people realize, that you go back and you relive it, the meetings or the things on TV,” she said. “They’re triggers for…

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In short:

The Catholic Church tried to revive a legal loophole in 2022 that ruled the church could not be sued because it was not a legal entity, which was scrapped years earlier.

Last year, a new loophole was exposed after the court ruled churches cannot always be held liable for the actions of priests because they are not employees.

What’s next?

The government has pledged to close the new loophole, but advocates say delays in doing so are further traumatising victims. 

The Catholic Church attempted to reopen a highly controversial legal loophole that stopped it being sued by victims of sexual abuse for millions of dollars in damages, an ABC investigation can reveal.

Warning: This story contains details of alleged child sex abuse that may distress some audience members.

The “Ellis defence” was a legal loophole that held the church could not be sued because it did not exist…

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Disgraced former megachurch pastor Robert Morris waived his right to a preliminary hearing at a court appearance Thursday morning regarding accusations he sexually abused a 12-year-old girl over four decades ago.

Flanked by attorneys and wife Debbie, Morris appeared before Judge Cindy Pickerell at the Osage County District Court in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Morris confirmed he understood the implications of waiving the hearing.

Preliminary hearings are where a judge decides if there’s sufficient probable cause to proceed with a case. It’s also where unfavorable testimony may be heard.

Earlier this year, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a five-page indictment against Morris, alleging five counts of lewd molestation.

Pickerell ordered the 63-year-old Morris to return to court on Oct. 2 for his district court arraignment. During that court appearance, Morris will be able to enter a plea regarding the charges, ask for additional time, request a motion hearing, or set the case…

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The Very Rev. Bernard J. Owens, dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sept. 4 issued a statement saying the cathedral’s communications manager, Brett Boardwine, has been placed on administrative leave after he was charged with attempted sexual conduct with a minor, and “importuning,” the legal term for soliciting a minor.

“Our highest priority is the safety of those in our care,” Owens said in his statement, which was sent to Episcopalians in the Diocese of Ohio via email. “While we currently have no reason to think anyone in the Trinity Cathedral community has been harmed, I have placed Brett on immediate administrative leave.”

FOX8 News in Cleveland reported that Boardwine, 31, was arrested on Aug. 12 for allegedly attempting to solicit sex with someone he thought was a 15-year-old boy after an online chat exchange on a social media platform….

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Three Broome County men, including a Harpursville church pastor, face attempted rape charges following joint investigations with the New York State Police, FBI and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

The New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation announced on Sept. 4 the results of the investigations, which targeted people using social media to lure children for sexual acts.

Ronald E. Wenzinger, 70, of Binghamton; John J. Tremark, 39, of Binghamton; and Juan A. Bolanoszul, 38, of Endicott were charged with second-degree attempted rape. The cases are not related.

New York State Police said Wenzinger is a reverend at the United Methodist Church in Harpursville.

In a letter posted on the church’s Facebook page April 6, Wenzinger announced he would be leaving the ministry between June 30 and Sept. 14 for “a new mission field involving low-income housing” after three years as pastor at the church.

State police said…

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A pastor and volleyball coach was arrested on Thursday in Wayne County.

51-year-old Chet Snyder is a pastor at Journey Church in Fairfield, the head girls’ Volleyball coach at Frontier Community College, and is now facing multiple sexual assault charges.

Before his arrest on Thursday, a young man filed an Order of Protection, no contact, against Snyder just a week ago. The charges against Snyder include: Unlawful Restraint, Aggravated Sexual Assault, and Criminal Sexual Assault.

An investigation is still ongoing, with updates in the coming days.

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Elders at a Fort Worth church are supporting their leader amid the troubling accusations.

A DFW-area pastor and Christian social media influencer is under fire after being arrested and charged earlier this week.

Alonzo Diego Fuller, 39, and his wife, Asia, have led Journey Fort Worth Church since 2022. Fuller has promoted his music and shared sermons to his expanding social media following while leading the church, which meets in a local elementary school. 

The Dallas Morning News reported that Fuller was held in the Tarrant County jail Monday on a second-degree felony charge of sexual assault stemming from an alleged incident in June 2025. He was released on a $40,000 bond that same day.

Elders from Journey Fort Worth Church released a statement in a Facebook post about Fuller’s arrest on Monday. They shared that they’d been made “aware of serious allegations” made against the pastor by a former church…

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There could be a delay in the start of the sexual assault trial of suspended Living Word Church Associate Pastor Randy Saylor, due to a hearing on Wednesday about a possible conflict of interest.

The trial for Saylor, 73, is set to begin Sept. 22 in Midland County Circuit Court. He is charged with three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct of a person under 13 and two counts of second-degree CSC with a relationship. Saylor is free on a $50,000 cash/surety bond.

Saylor’s attorney, Matthew Reyes, formerly represented a man who is set to be called by Assistant Midland County Prosecutor Courtney Driscoll as a witness in Saylor’s trial. The witness is the father of two of Saylor’s alleged victims and is expected to be cross-examined by Reyes during the trial.

Reyes represented the father in an abuse and neglect case that was filed after Saylor was charged. Driscoll said…

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A pastor and social media influencer in Fort Worth, Texas, was arrested Sunday on a sexual assault charge.

Alonzo Diego Fuller, 39, was arrested by Fort Worth police on a second-degree felony charge of sexual assault that, according to The Dallas Morning News, allegedly occurred in June.

On Monday, Fuller was released from the Tarrant County jail on a $40,000 surety bond, according to jail records.

But Fuller, founding pastor of Journey Fort Worth Church, said he “categorically denies” these accusations, which, he says, were brought by a former parishioner.

The church’s board of elders said these accusations are without merit, according to a statement posted Wednesday on Facebook.

“Pastor Diego fully supports and welcomes a thorough investigation by the criminal justice system and looks forward to the opportunity to clear his name,” they said. “He remains committed to…

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New charges were filed against a former Baltimore County youth pastor, who police said abused seven boys while he worked at Central Christian Church in Rossville.

A seventh victim has come forward, according to the Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger. Court papers said one victim told police that 52-year-old Thomas Pinkerton was a “father figure” to him “in a spiritual way,” meeting him when he was just 13-years-old.

The victim added that Pinkerton touched him inappropriately and, at one point, claimed when he kissed him, Pinkerton said that it was a “heavenly kiss” and that’s how Jesus would greet his disciples.

Police said there’s another victim in Georgia, where Pinkerton was living until he was arrested. He was extradited back to Maryland in August.

According to a statement, the church is offering counseling and spiritual support. Pinkerton remains in prison.

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A woman has come forward accusing Andrew Showers, the Madison priest who has been charged with three child sex crimes in Waupaca County, of more sexual misconduct. 

“I share my story not just for myself, but for everyone who is still carrying their pain in silence, like I once did,” Patricia Moriarty said.

Moriarty accused Showers of sexually assaulting her in 2024.

She said she met Showers in Chicago last year, where he introduced himself as a priest. Moriarty claimed that while they were in public, Showers groped her under her clothes and made sexually inappropriate comments.

Representatives from the Survivors’ Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) said Moriarty’s father contacted Madison Bishop Donald Hying. They received forms to fill out but were never spoken to directly by the bishop.

Peter Isely with SNAP believes another incident involving Showers and a middle school boy in…

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Two superiors we handed one year prison sentences on Tuesday, both of which are expected to be commuted

A Bolivian court sentenced two Jesuit priests on Sept. 2 to one year in prison for covering up the abuse of disgraced Fr. Alfonso Pedrajas, SJ. Pedrajas was accused of abusing at least 85 boys during his time in Bolivia and left a diary attesting to his crimes.

The priests convicted of covering up abuse, Fr. Marcos Recolons SJ and Fr. Ramón Alaix SJ, served as provincials of the Society of Jesus in Bolivia from 1993-1999 and 1999-2007, respectively. Pedrajas, who died in 2009, spent much of his ministry in Bolivia, including running a school for boys from poor rural families.

Recolons also served as councilor general of the Society of Jesus in Rome between 2004 and 2012.

According to the court ruling, both Recolons and Alaix knew of Pedrajas’ abuse both…

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One of the largest settlements under the Child Victims Act unfolded in a federal court in Rochester on Friday.

Nearly 500 survivors of child sex abuse walked away saying they are relieved and ready to move on.

“The healing can start now, which is more important than the money,” said Gregory Stanley. “I’m just glad it’s over.”

“Relief,” said Merle Sweet. “It’s all finally over.” 

“I am actually, for the first time, excited for the future,” said John McHugh.

After years of waiting, the settlement between the survivors of child sex abuse and the Catholic Diocese of Rochester is now settled. The move took place inside a federal bankruptcy court.

“This is a milestone day for survivors in the Rochester area after being the first bankruptcy filed in New York after the passage of the CVA,” said bankruptcy attorney Ilan Scharf. “We’ve had to fight many fights in courtrooms and mediations…

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Judge Paul Warren produced a blue shoelace at the end of the hearing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Sept. 5.

It wasn’t the promised ribbon, but it tied a bow, literal and symbolic, on the confirmation hearing that will ensure payouts to survivors of abuse and sexual abuse by priests, nuns and church officials in the Diocese of Rochester. The agreement will create a fund of $246 million for survivors, paid out by the diocese and its insurers.

Warren’s shoelace-tied confirmation marked the conclusion of an arduous six-year legal battle between survivors, the church and its insurers. A July 29 hearing was held over to September, where Warren signed the agreement to applause from an at-capacity courtroom.

“I haven’t forgotten what you said in your victim statements,” Warren said. “…The money isn’t going to fix you. It isn’t going to make it go away.”

But…

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Patricia Moriarty, a victim of Rev. Andrew Showers who was sexually assault in him in Chicago in January 2024, speaks at the Wisconsin State Capitol alongside Nate’s Mission advocates to push for stronger accountability for Madison Diocese officials, including Bishop Donald Hying.

An abuse survivors group has accused Diocese of Madison Bishop Donald Hying of ignoring multiple complaints against a Catholic priest charged with trying to arrange sex with a 14-year-old online.

Andrew J. Showers, 37, was arrested in a sting operation on Aug. 24, and charged with attempted use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, attempted child enticement and attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child under 16.

The diocese had once said there had been no previous complaints against Showers. But in a statement on Aug. 25, Hying said a parent had raised concerns about the priest back in December 2021.

…

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MADISON (WMTV) — New allegations are being brought against a Madison priest accused of child sex crimes.

Andrew Showers was arrested after an undercover operation last month in which a Clintonville police officer posed online as a 14-year-old girl. Showers had agreed to meet her for sex.

Now, Patricia Moriarty said she wants to share her experience with Showers, despite the painful memories it brings her.

“I share my story not just for myself, but for everyone who is still carrying their pain in silence like I once did,” Moriarty said.

Moriarty alleges that she was out with friends in Chicago in January 2024 when Andrew Showers introduced himself to her as a priest. She claims he then groped her underneath her clothes and talked to her in a sexually inappropriate manner.

“It’s a rollercoaster of emotions,” Moriarty said. “There’s days where you’re like,…

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Resolution of a sort came today for John McHugh, a survivor of child sex abuse by Catholic Church officials in the Diocese of Rochester. Maybe it was more of a new start, actually.

“I am, for the first time, excited for the future, because I can start to put some of this behind me and heal as best as I can,” McHugh said. “I won’t forget what happened but I can start to focus on the future instead of living in the past.”

Hear his comments in our video after the Sept. 5 federal bankruptcy court acceptance of a massive financial settlement that was years in the making.

Hear his comments in our video after the Sept. 5 federal bankruptcy court acceptance of a massive financial settlement that was years in the making.

Bishop Salvatore Matano also spoke and expressed sympathy for the…

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Sept. 1 marks a historic victory for child sexual assault survivors in Texas and Missouri. “Trey’s Law” has officially gone into effect, banning the misuse of nondisclosure agreements in civil settlement agreements pertaining to sexual assault claims.

In Texas, this legislation releases survivors from existing NDAs that restrict them from telling their stories, unless a court specifically orders otherwise.

Missouri’s House version of Trey’s Law (HB-737) also went into effect last Thursday. While the Texas version of Trey’s Law was expanded to make no provision for age, the Missouri version remains limited to civil disputes regarding cases of child sexual abuse.

Trey’s Law is named after Trey Carlock, a Dallas native who sued Kanakuk Kamps and other defendants after enduring a decade of grooming and child sexual abuse by camp director and serial child sexual predator Pete Newman. Carlock’s case settled out of court,…

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A family member of the Madison priest accused of child sex crimes expresses anger more than a week after his arrest.

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -A family member of the Madison priest accused of child sex crimes expresses anger more than a week after his arrest.

“Andrew is my cousin. We are the same age; we graduated the same year,” Brenda Coy said.

Emotions are raw for the 37-year-old.

“Absolutely disgusted, angry. I’m just taken back as a survivor of sexual assault myself and after coming out to this family,” Coy said.

She learned last week that her cousin, priest Andrew Showers, is accused of child sex crimes.

“You don’t always know who someone is growing up or who they were in the past, but true colors really come out and sometimes it takes a certain instance for it to come out,” she said.

Coy said she felt a sense of relief…

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In the online Catholic landscape, a near-constant churn of sensationalized clickbait stokes fear, cultivates exclusion and funnels viewers down a pipeline of opinion and misinformation that, in many cases, drifts dangerously far from the church’s core teachings on justice, solidarity and dignity of the human person.

This theological departure has real-world consequences: political campaigns mobilize the Christian right to reduce the freedoms of marginalized groups, deny climate change, reject vaccine science – the list goes on. Pope Leo XIV has addressed this impulse: “Where there is love, there is no room for prejudice, for ‘security’ zones separating us from our neighbors, for the exclusionary mindset that, tragically, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms.”

So, the question becomes: How can left-leaning Catholics fight against online content designed to outrage and radicalize?

One answer is the creation and consumption of media that…

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The victims say the Archdiocese of Atlanta knew about priests sexually abusing children in the late ’70s and actively concealed it. 

ATLANTA (CN) — A group of 12 men who say they were sexually abused as children by Catholic priests argued to an appeals court Thursday that the church should be liable for concealing the abuse.

The plaintiffs claimed Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church knew its priests belonging to archdioceses across the country had a history of sexually abusing children, yet engaged in a “systematic cover-up effort” to conceal the danger the priests posed to minor parishioners, even as they encouraged them to serve as altar boys under the supervision of such priests.

The Archdiocese of Atlanta argued the men’s claims are time-barred because the abusive acts took place during the late 1970s and ‘80s. Under Georgia law, if a minor is subjected to sexual abuse, the general two-year statute…

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BALTIMORE — Maryland’s highest court is scheduled to consider arguments Friday on whether to release the names of more than a dozen people — mostly current and former clergy members — whose identities were concealed in the public version of a disturbing report released in 2023, chronicling sexual abuse within the Baltimore Archdiocese over decades.

The public arguments follow two years of secret court proceedings over releasing the names, which are blacked out in the Maryland Attorney General’s Office’s report. The lengthy document outlines sexual abuse and torture perpetrated by local diocesan clergy and staff on more than 600 children and young adults dating back to the 1940s.

None of the 14 anonymous archdiocese officials fighting the release of their names had been identified as a perpetrator of abuse in the report, though the Attorney General’s Office found that they either inadequately or inappropriately responded to allegations of abuse.

The Baltimore…

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Former student Billy Crane reflects on his own fight for justice

This week marks a historic moment in New Jersey, with the first civil sex abuse case against the Catholic Church in the state to go to trial. At issue is a string of accusations against the Delbarton School, a prominent Catholic college-preparatory school in Morristown.

The lawsuit, filed by a former student known only by the initials T.M., alleges abuse by a Benedictine monk in the 1970s, and accuses the Order of St. Benedictine — which owns and operates the school — of enabling that abuse.

Jury selection began Tuesday, despite attempts by the school to delay the trial over concerns of media exposure. Delbarton and the Order of St. Benedict face 39 pending lawsuits.

Former student Billy Crane knows this story all too well. He and his twin brother, Tom, sued Delbarton in 2012 alleging they were abused…

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A former priest convicted of abusing members of a “cult-like” church group will face a second trial next year.

Chris Brain, 68, ran the influential Nine O’Clock Service (NOS) in Sheffield in the 1980s and 1990s.

Last month, he was found guilty of 17 indecent assaults against nine women. A jury at Inner London Crown Court cleared him of 15 further counts of indecent assault, but could not reach a verdict on four counts of indecent assault and one rape.

Prosecutor Tim Clark KC told a hearing on Thursday that the Crown Prosecution Service was seeking a retrial on the remaining charges. The court heard it was scheduled to begin on 1 September 2026 and was expected to last about four weeks.

The five outstanding charges relate to four women who were part of the NOS, which blended live music and multi-media displays in services and attracted hundreds of young…

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Robert Morris, the founding pastor of Southlake-based Gateway Church, waived his right to a preliminary hearing in his criminal child sex abuse case Thursday, according to court records.

His arraignment, set for Oct. 2 in Osage County where the alleged abuse occurred, comes after the former church leader pleaded not guilty to five charges of lewd or indecent acts with a child in March.

KERA News reached out to Morris’ attorney and will update this story with any response.

In June of 2024, Cindy Clemishire publicly accused Morris, 63, of sexually abusing her in the 1980s beginning at the age of 12. Clemishire said the abuse lasted more than four years.

Morris resigned from the church shortly after admitting to an “inappropriate relationship” with Clemishire.

Clemishire and her father are also suing the megachurch, its elders, Robert Morris, his wife and the Robert Morris Evangelistic Association,…

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• A Madison Diocese priest was arrested on suspicion of child sex crimes after the diocese had already received complaints about his behavior.
• Despite prior complaints, the priest was scheduled to lead a group of teens on a pilgrimage to Rome.
• A woman has come forward stating the priest groped her at a social event in Chicago last year, and her family’s reports to the diocese went unanswered by the bishop.
• An advocacy group plans to file a complaint with the Vatican against Bishop Donald Hying for allegedly failing to protect parishioners.

MADISON – Despite reports of abuse involving a priest in the Madison Diocese, officials were planning to allow him to escort a group of teens to Rome next year, according to the diocese’s social media.

Andrew J. Showers’ arrest in Clintonville last month on suspicion of child sex crimes came after the diocese had already received complaints about his behavior, including a…

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This article discusses sexual assault. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can call RAINN’s national sexual assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 for confidential support.

MADISON, Wis. — There are new accusations against a Catholic priest in the Diocese of Madison who was already accused of child sex crimes. 

What You Need To Know Andrew J. Showers was arrested in Clintonville in August; criminal charges were filed on Aug. 27. He was charged with attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child, attempted child enticement and attempted use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime

Now, there is another accusation against Showers. Patricia Moriarty is accusing Showers of sexually assaulting her in Chicago

Spectrum News 1 reached out to the Chicago Police Department regarding the incident and has received no response

Spectrum News 1 reached out to the diocese for a response to the allegations. The diocese referred us to…

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Reporter assisted by AI

• Many former residents of the orphanage reported abuse by Catholic leaders.

A memorial honoring residents of the former St. Joseph’s Orphanage, where many children described abuse at the hands of Catholic leaders, will be unveiled in Burlington.

The Voices of St. Joseph’s Orphanage, in collaboration with the city’s Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Department, will host a ribbon-cutting for the memorial from 2 to 4 p.m., Sept. 5, at Kieslich Park on North Avenue, according to an announcement.

The event will feature remarks from former residents and city officials from 2:15 to 3 p.m., followed by the ribbon cutting and refreshments.

The memorial has been years in the making. It includes a black locust archway designed by artist Clay Mohrman and engraved boulders with writings from the Voices of St. Joseph’s Orphanage group.

The orphanage, which operated for 140 years, was home to more than 13,000…

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“I am Abraham’s daughter, sacrificed on the altar of missions, harmed in ways that loathe to be healed…It was God’s desire and design that we die, that we suffer, that we give ourselves to the mission for the sake of our parents and the sake of our souls, the protection of God’s reputation always on our minds.”

These haunting words, written by Joy Smalley, a former missionary kid (MK), encapsulate a truth that many religious institutions have refused to face for decades: children of missionaries were abused – sexually, emotionally, and spiritually by communities that claimed to represent God’s love. Many were abused in the name of discipline while others under the guise of faith. Sadly, many never told their stories until now.

A Legacy of Silence

Across the global mission field, from the hills of West Africa to the plateaus of Nigeria and the jungles of the Philippines, and…

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Questions were raised by survivors about oversight in wake of serious data breach

A NEW independent oversight board is expected to be formed to supervise the delivery of the Redress Scheme for survivors of abuse, once the Measure establishing the scheme has received parliamentary approval, a Church House spokesman said this week.

Questions were raised by survivors about oversight in the wake of a serious data breach which had disclosed the email addresses of all those who had registered for updates on the scheme. The law firm responsible for its administration, Kennedys, has taken full responsibility for the breach, which affected almost 200 people (News, 29 August).

“The Terms of Reference for the Redress Board, chaired by Bishop Philip [the Bishop of Winchester, the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen], were focused on designing the scheme and preparing the legislation for Synod,” the spokesman said on Monday. “That work has…

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AUSTIN, Texas (BP) – Texas and Missouri laws banning nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) in sexual abuse settlements took effect over the Labor Day weekend.

The Texas law took effect Sept. 1, banning such clauses for sexual abuse survivors of all ages, following Missouri’s law that became effective Aug. 28 and is limited to minors. The laws also nullify previously signed NDAs, unless specifically upheld by a court.

Such bans are now active in three states including Tennessee, where they’ve been outlawed since 2018.

Jeff Dalrymple, director of abuse prevention and response for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, has described NDAs as controversial.

“In addition to legal considerations, ministry leaders should carefully consider both ethical and moral implications of NDA use. There may be situations in which an NDA could be an appropriate tool for a ministry to use, for instance, to protect the private information of ministry participants or in…

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The court sentences Ramon Alaix and Marcos Recolons for concealing the abuses of the deceased priest Alfonso Pedrajas.

Barcelona – A Bolivian court sentenced Catalan Jesuits Ramon Alaix and Marcos Recolons, both former provincials of the Society of Jesus, to one year in prison on Tuesday for covering up sexual abuse committed by the late priest Alfonso Pedrajas. Furthermore, sources from the Bolivian Community of Survivors (CBS) assured Efe news agency that this sentence opens the door to four more legal proceedings. According to this organization, which represents victims, there are 12 other Jesuits (also deceased) who allegedly committed sexual abuse against 500 minors in boarding schools, schools, and rural areas of Bolivia, and who allegedly enjoyed the support of the then-high-ranking officials of the religious order in the country.

“Both defendants have been found guilty of concealing the crime. Both have been sentenced to one year of imprisonment to…

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Sara Larson is the Founder and Executive Director of Awake, a Milwaukee-based organization representing survivors of clergy abuse throughout the United States. Today on WTMJ Conversations, she sits down with WTMJ’s Libby Collins to discuss why she founded the organization, the mission of Awake, infiltrating the Vatican to get her message to Pope Leo, and much more. It’s all ahead on this edition of WTMJ Conversations!

A partial transcript is provided below, courtesy of eCourt Reporters.

LIBBY COLLINS: So, here you are in Rome with your 37 letters. How did you get those into the Vatican?

SARA LARSON: Well, I’m very fortunate that I’ve built some relationships with people at the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which is the body of people that advises the pope on matters related to abuse. I had someone that I had met with several times from the Pontifical Commission who was also…

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The Pentecostal denomination hasn’t complied with discovery orders in a lawsuit accusing it of failing to protect students from a sex offender.

This article is part of “Pastors and Prey,” a series investigating sex abuse allegations in the Assemblies of God.

A Texas judge is cracking down on the Assemblies of God for repeatedly failing to turn over documents as part of a lawsuit accusing the Pentecostal denomination of mishandling sex abuse allegations.

At a hearing last month, District Court Judge Lauren Reeder, based in Houston, said the denomination’s national office had been “flagrant” in its failure to comply with her orders to produce records related to alleged abuses by Daniel Savala, a convicted sex offender and former missionary. Pastors in the Assemblies of God’s college ministry, Chi Alpha, hailed Savala for years as “the holiest man alive” and sent hundreds of teens and young adults to his…

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 3, 2025

MADISON, WI – Nate’s Mission and the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) will hold a press conference at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 4th outside the Wisconsin State Capitol building regarding a prior police report against Fr. Andrew Showers, a Diocese of Madison priest recently charged with attempted use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, attempted child enticement-exposing intimate parts and attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child.

At the event, the victim will publicly share her testimony for the first time regarding an early 2024 police report in Chicago alleging she was sexually assaulted by the same priest in January 2024.

The Diocese of Madison’s initial communication regarding Showers’ arrest falsely claimed that there had been “no previous allegations of misconduct related to Fr. Showers.” The diocese later issued a correction, acknowledging that a parent of…

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ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Impact statements from survivors of alleged sexual abuse by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany will be given in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sept. 10.

Multiple survivors came forward in 2022 when New York’s Child Victims Act made it possible for them to file lawsuits years after the abuse occurred by temporarily lifting the statute of limitations.

The diocese filed for bankruptcy in 2023, which put many of the cases on hold. An attorney for some of the alleged victims spoke with NEWS10 one day after the filing.

At that time, attorney Cynthia LaFave told NEWS10 the diocese controls more than $600 million in assets. She believed the bankruptcy filing was meant to delay unsettled cases because legal action…

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The boy’s family claims Fighting Irish players filmed and posted videos of the alleged assaults, and that school coaches and administrators failed to investigate.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — A federal civil rights lawsuit accuses football players at Youngstown’s Ursuline High School of hazing and sexually assaulting a freshman student during a team camp this past June.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Northern Ohio’s U.S. District Court, claims the unnamed teen was attacked multiple times over the course of the camp, which resulted in both physical injuries and “continued humiliation” as well as the need for psychological help. It also alleges Ursuline coaches and administrators knew of the hazing but did not take adequate steps to investigate or put a stop to it, part of what the plaintiffs lawyers say is a “culture of hazing has existed for many years.”

“Rather than act in accordance with its stated values and…

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Lawsuit names Ursuline High School football coaches, players and administrators, as well as the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown

• A family on Sept. 2 filed a federal lawsuit against football coaches, administrators and families of football players at Ursuline High School of Youngstown, Ohio.
• Alleged hazing, physical and sexual abuse and the dissemination of child pornography occurred during a nine-day team trip in June 2025.

Allegations of hazing, physical and sexual assault, and the creation and dissemination of child pornography against an Ohio high school football team have resulted in a federal lawsuit against Ursuline High School.

A family on Sept. 2 filed a federal lawsuit against football coaches, administrators and families of football players at the Youngstown, Ohio, high school. The suit also names the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, alleges the incidents took place during a nine-day football…

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NEW HAVEN — A man is suing the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford, alleging a now-deceased priest who had been assigned to a New Haven parish sexually assaulted him at gunpoint in 1988, when he was 8 years old, court records show.

The man, identified in court documents by the pseudonym Charles Doe, alleges in his complaint, filed July 8 in state Superior Court in New Haven, that he was abused by the Rev. Howard Nash, who was assigned to St. Bernadette’s Church in New Haven.

David Elliott, a spokesman for the archdiocese, said via email, “It is the longstanding policy of the Archdiocese of Hartford to not comment publicly on abuse allegations and/or settlements. The Archdiocese of Hartford continues to apologize and work with victims of clergy sexual abuse and their families to bring them a lasting healing.”

Elliott said Archbishop Christopher J. Coyne and his staff “are committed…

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 ‘Religious sisters are not priests’ wives. We are not bedmates. We are women of God. The Church must do better because God is watching,’ said Sr Kinse Anastasia in a social media post.

Allegations that Catholic priests treat nuns as their “wives” caused controversy in Nigeria, with supporters of the accuser clashing with officials who said she had left the Church.

In a social media post on 24 August, Sr Kinse Anastasia claimed Religious sisters face pressure for sex from priests, who treat them as “ornaments in habits”. She said that some priests openly say that “sisters are meant to be priests’ wives” and act as such.

She also accused Church leaders of silencing nuns who complain of abuse and Religious superiors of misusing their authority, while also condemning those who compromise their vows because “it weakens the dignity of consecrated life”.

“Religious sisters are not priests’ wives. We are…

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A new case of sexual misconduct at the Mexican diocese of Izcalli reveals the Catholic Church’s unwillingness to learn from its past mistakes.

Seminarian Otoniel seeks sexual partners over social media. When his demands are not satisfied he turns violent.

His sexual behavior mirrors notorious predators such as Fernando Karadima and less known abusers from the same diocese of Izcalli.

This is a convoluted story about a minor and a seminarian, a cleric in training. Originally, this series dealing with clergy sexual abuse in the diocese of Izcalli, an exurb of Mexico City, was planned as a three-installment affair. However, before publishing the third installment, a new survivor contacted the author of these lines over social media.

The first contact was somehow similar to survivors going through the early stages of their reckoning with the effects of such experience. It was a private message, very late at night, so it…

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Representatives of Catholic church sex abuse survivors filed a motion Wednesday to dismiss the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s bankruptcy case, which is blocking the survivors’ ability to sue the church for damages.

The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in 2023, mere days before state legislation erasing the statute of limitations for sex abuse survivors to file civil suits went into effect. Advocates railed against a subsequent law that reduced the cap on child sex abuse lawsuits filed against private institutions from $1.15 million to $700,000.

In its bankruptcy suit, the church claimed that it has charitable immunity and therefore should not have to pay damages in the more than 900 sex abuse lawsuits filed against it.

Maryland’s doctrine of charitable immunity protects organizations, such as religious groups, and their volunteers from being held liable in civil lawsuits if the organization does not have liability insurance.

In their motion to dismiss, the survivors’ representatives rebuked the church’s…

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A civil complaint has been filed against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford for allegations stating a late New Haven priest sexually assaulted an 8-year-old boy at gunpoint in 1988.

The civil lawsuit, which was filed on July 7 by the victim, stated that the late Rev. Howard Nash sexually assaulted him while the two of them were on a ski trip at Nash’s private home in Vermont.Hartford Archdiocese agrees to $2.4 million settlement with sexual abuse victim

At the time, Nash was a priest at St. Bernadette’s Church on Townsend Avenue in New Haven, which was under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Hartford. The child was baptized by Nash and his family had been devout Catholics, raising him within the church, according to the civil complaint.

Nash was also present at family social events, holidays and barbecues hosted by the victim’s grandparents.

The civil complaint states that…

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A man facing multiple charges of sexual abuse involving a minor in Greene County has now pleaded guilty.

Rodney Locklear, the former pastor of the now-defunct Victory Church in Ruckersville, pleaded guilty to 12 charges in court on Tuesday.

He was initially facing charges of aggravated sexual battery of a minor and abduction with the intent to defile.

Those charges have been reduced to felony child endangerment and misdemeanor sexual abuse of a minor.

Locklear also pleaded to eight felony embezzlement charges for stealing money from the church he led.

He could face up to 100 years in prison, but the defense has asked for an active prison sentence of just 10 years.

Locklear remains out on bond pending his sentencing, which is scheduled for January.

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The Vita group, set up by the Portuguese Bishops’ Conference (CEP) to monitor situations of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, has received a total of 83 requests for financial compensation, the organisation announced on Monday.

“To date, 83 requests for financial compensation have been received and, as planned, investigative commissions have been set up which have so far assessed 68 people,” the coordinator of the Vita group told Lusa.

This difference is due to cases in which people failed to respond, didn’t turn up for scheduled interviews, situations in which there was no sexual violence or with suspects “outside the context of the Roman Catholic Church”, explained Rute Agulhas.

“In the context of the Church, therefore, there are only seven people who applied for this financial compensation more recently and whose interviews are now scheduled for September,” said the head of the Vita group, considering that the work…

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A former President of the Methodist Conference has been charged with seven counts of sexual assault and one indecent assault. The charges relate to a number of women.

Rev Steve Wild, who was chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Methodist Circuit from 2008 until 2022, will appear at Truro Magistrates Court on 15th September.

The 70-year-old was suspended in September 2021 after allegations were made against him. The details of the allegations were not made public despite repeated requests from Premier Christian News.

In March 2022, it was announced that he would not be permitted to return to ministry after a safeguarding panel revealed the results of an investigation into a complaint made against him.

The investigation concluded that a culture of sexism was rife within the Methodist Church and criticised some senior leaders for a failure to respond to allegations of abusive or discriminatory behaviour.

At the time, Rev Mark…

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The bishop who identified herself as one of the two women who accused the former Bishop of Liverpool of sexual misconduct is stepping down.

The Bishop of Warrington, the Right Reverend Bev Mason, is leaving her post on 30 September after being on extended leave from the Diocese of Liverpool since the autumn of 2023.

It comes after the former Bishop of Liverpool John Perumbalath resigned in January following sexual assault and harassment allegations against him in a Channel 4 News investigation, which he has denied.

Bishop Mason said “there is much learning the church might take from the past two and a half years”, adding that as The Church of England, “we can do better”.

“It has now been over two years since I was advised to take ‘extended study leave’ on the understanding the causative matter would be resolved soon thereafter”, Bishop Bev said in a pastoral letter announcing…

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On November 28, 2020, Saint Francis de Sales parishioners were informed that their pastor, Fr. David Ryan, who had served there since 2007, was being removed from ministry after being accused of sexually abusing a minor decades earlier at Maryville Academy in Des Plaines, Illinois. In the letter, the Archdiocese of Chicago repeated the Church’s familiar assurances about child safety, claiming “nothing is more important than the welfare of the children entrusted to our care.” Yet serious allegations require a serious investigation – one that leaves no doubt.

Eleven months later, in September of 2021, another letter was sent to parishioners announcing that the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Independent Review Board had found “insufficient reason to suspect Father Ryan had committed sexual abuse of a minor.” Fr. Ryan was immediately reinstated as pastor of Saint Francis de Sales.

Just one week later, additional details emerged regarding Fr. Ryan’s accusations. His return was delayed, and…

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A Bolivian court sentenced two elderly Spanish Jesuit priests to a year each in prison on Tuesday for concealing decades of child sex abuse committed by their colleague in the church.

The convictions of the priests, Marcos Recolons, 81, and Ramon Alaix, 83, mark Bolivia’s first successful criminal prosecution against high-ranking members of the Catholic Jesuit order implicated in concealing abuse cases.

Prosecutors argued that Recolons and Alaix led the Jesuit order in Bolivia while the abuse occurred. They were aware of the allegations against a priest, Alfonso Pedrajas, but failed to report them to police, allowing him to continue contact with children, according to the prosecution.

The case came to light in 2023 with the publication of a diary belonging to Pedrajas, who died in 2009. In it, he wrote about abusing at least 85 minors between 1972 and 2000, many of whom were Indigenous students on scholarships at…

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A Baptist chaplain at a privately-run ICE lockup in Pennsylvania is facing accusations of sexually abusing a detainee over the course of more than a year, beginning shortly after he gained her trust by gifting her a Bible.

Pastor Mark Melhorn, 67, engaged in “extraordinary misconduct” at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center “under the guise of providing pastoral services,” according to a federal lawsuit obtained by The Independent.

His “repeated and pervasive” misconduct started with sexualized comments and gestures, with Melhorn telling the plaintiff in the case, who is identified as Jane Doe in court filings, that she was “hermosa,” “bonita,” and “preciosa,” according to the complaint.

“Melhorn would ask Ms. Doe if she liked how he looked, stare at her breasts, and lick his lips while staring at her,” the complaint alleges. “While Melhorn and detained women sang hymns together, he would position himself…

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Dozens of people who allege they were sexually abused as children by priests and other employees of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany are scheduled to share their stories of what they endured and how it has affected their lives at a multi-day conference scheduled to begin Sept. 10 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

The extraordinary proceeding was scheduled by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert E. Littlefield Jr. in response to a motion filed in June by the Official Committee of Tort Claimants, which represents the interests of hundreds of the sexual abuse survivors. The hearing is expected to last at least two days and Albany Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger has indicated he will be in the courtroom for the testimonials.

The hearing is scheduled to take place as efforts to reach a global settlement with the diocese and its insurance carriers have languished since the bankruptcy case was filed two years ago.

…

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The charismatic pastor of one of British Columbia’s largest churches, who was accused of sexual assault and grooming foster children, returned to ministry after stepping away five months ago.

Kelowna Harvest Church in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, announced in a statement on Wednesday that its pastor, Art Lucier, is returning to ministry after voluntarily stepping away in April amid an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.

After the conclusion of the investigation, the oversight committee tasked with reviewing the allegations against Lucier unanimously agreed to reinstate him in his leadership role effective Monday. 

“This includes returning to public ministry such as preaching and teaching,” the statement reads. “Art Lucier has accepted this invitation.”

The decision comes as the church and Lucier face civillawsuits filed by two women who allege Lucier sexually abused them as children in foster care starting in 2001, when…

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