ABUSE TRACKER

Reviving the proposed constitutional amendment to give childhood sexual abuse survivors a shot at justice would be a mistake, a lawyer who represented victims of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky told lawmakers Thursday.

Instead, the General Assembly should work to pass a simple bill to create a two-year window for childhood sex abuse victims to seek justice, even after their time to sue has passed, University of Pennsylvania law professor Marci Hamilton said.

“A statute can be enacted in the next month, it can be voted on. It can become the law,” she testified in a House Democratic Policy Committee hearing on new bills that aim to give survivors their day in court.

State lawmakers have been working for two decades to pass legislation or a constitutional amendment to temporarily suspend the statute of limitations for adults to seek accountability for abuse they suffered as children.

A…

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Havertown native Jay Sefton, abused by a priest in middle school, channeled his pain into a solo play called Unreconciled, with its final performance near the steps of the Harrisburg Capitol to sway lawmakers to help abuse survivors, writes Gauri Mangala for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Co-written by Sefton and Mark Basquill, the play also explores Sefton’s later dealings with Philadelphia Archdiocese’s Independent Reconciliation and Reparations Program for Claims of Clergy Abuse of Minors.

Throughout the play, Sefton portrays multiple figures from his life, including his father, classmates, and Rev. Thomas J. Smith, a Philadelphia priest defrocked in 2007 following allegations of sexual misconduct with minors.

The play challenges both the abuser and the system that hinders survivors of childhood abuse from addressing their trauma.

“I’m really lucky that I took that rage and found a way to channel it into something really beautiful,” said Sefton.

Unreconciled concluded its two-week, three-city tour on April…

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Michael Deckinga, of Dyer, faces a potential decades-long federal prison sentence after admitting to distributing child pornography over an extended period, according to federal court filings.

Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 228 months (19 years) in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, along with $47,000 in restitution, a $5,000 federal assessment, and forfeiture of a cellphone used in the offense.  

According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Deckinga admitted to accessing child pornography for approximately five years and distributing the material between November 22, 2024, and May 14, 2025.  

Deckinga was the vice president of advancement at Mid-America Reformed Seminary in Dyer, Indiana. According to a statement provided to The Roys Report by the seminary’s vice president of operations Dan Fletcher said, “Mid-America Reformed Seminary can confirm that on the morning of August 13, 2025, agents of the Department of Homeland Security executed search warrants on the seminary…

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Ealing Abbey in west London will on Saturday 2 May unveil a plaque in the abbey church, marking its commitment to supporting survivors of child sexual abuse. Abbot Dominic Taylor will bless the plaque at a Mass of Hope and Healing for survivors on Saturday 2 May at 11.15am. It has been installed in the Mary Mother of All chapel which has a relief that depicts Our Lady drawing children to her. The plaque reads: “Mindful of all victims of child sexual abuse by clergy and people in authority, we acknowledge the terrible wrong done and grieve the deep suffering caused. Ever vigilant let us work and pray for healing, justice and peace. The Abbot and Community.” The text was written by the group, HOPE, which had the idea for a Mass not just for survivors of abuse but for all parishioners and those distressed and concerned about it. The…

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Operation Hurdler nets 325 suspects linked to the production, use and distribution of child porn online

East Asian police have arrested more than 325 people on suspicion of producing, using and distributing child pornography and other sex crimes across seven jurisdictions amid a crackdown on the scourge and warnings that further charges could follow.

In Hong Kong, police said nine people had been arrested in conjunction with transnational law enforcement agencies dubbed locally as Operation Hurdler, following hundreds of arrests in March and April in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Brunei.

“Initial investigation shows the suspects had downloaded child porn material through social media platforms, websites and torrent software, and stored them in their computers or phones,” said Ferris Cheung, a superintendent of the cyber security and technology crime bureau.

He told journalists the nine men most recently detained in Hong Kong were aged from 18 to 61 and that 15 computers and external…

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Survivors of clergy sexual abuse, Catholic leaders, and members of the diocesan community gathered Sunday at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for a “Blue Sunday” Mass.

The mass, centered on prayer, healing, and reflection, was held just weeks after a federal court finalized the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case tied to abuse claims.

The service took place during National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a national observance in April when faith-based communities across the country are encouraged to pray for victims of child abuse and those working to protect children.

Inside Sunday’s Mass, survivors and church members filled the cathedral for a service that emphasized both prayer and accountability. Bishop Douglas J. Lucia, who leads the Diocese of Syracuse, said the Church must continue confronting its history.

“We just needed to bring things into the light. We couldn’t hide behind things,” Lucia said.

As part of…

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Australian Catholic University (ACU) has launched a new PhD scholarship to address a growing number of safeguarding challenges – including a large increase in student-on-student physical and sexual abuse in schools nationwide.

The industry-funded scholarship is supported by MacKillop Family Services and will explore how schools can improve student safety through prevention and early identification.

The Institute of Child Protection Studies’ Deputy Director Associate Professor Tim Moore said that much of the safeguarding research completed to date focussed on complying with new standards and systems, but there is a need to find ways to deal with emerging issues in a school setting.

“Schools are facing issues they haven’t encountered before. The rates of adult abuse of children in schools has decreased over time, but we’ve seen, for example, a large spike in the number of peer-to-peer issues. This covers a range of abuse, including violence in relationships or sexual harassment,”…

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The case was one of hundreds of lawsuits filed by survivors of clergy abuse against the diocese.

A man who was sexually abused by a priest has won a multi million pound payout. The man, who has not been identified publicly, has been awarded $16 million by a jury after bringing a case against his former church.

The survivor won the civil lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, and now it has been said that the verdict “could have broad implications for hundreds of similar clergy abuse cases.” The case is just one of hundreds of lawsuits filed by survivors of clergy abuse against the diocese.

Others have also come forward with lawsuits, but until now, the other have been on hold since the diocese filed for bankruptcy three years ago. A judge allowed this case, along with a handful of others, to move forward but this…

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The Archdiocese of New York is reportedly in danger of bankruptcy unless it raises hundreds of millions of dollars to pay off roughly 1,700 people who allege priests and lay staff members sexually abused them as minors.

Parish pastors were told during an April 17 emergency meeting at St. Joseph College and Seminary in Yonkers that despite cost-cutting — which included $800 million in real estate selloffs over the past two years — a $300 million fund to pay off the victims is still well short of what’s needed to reach a global settlement, Our Town reported.

The priests were told they’d have to dip into their own parish coffers to collectively raise up to $400 million, or the archdiocese – which represents millions of Catholics in Manhattan, The Bronx, Staten Island and seven upstate counties — would be forced into bankruptcy.

“That is the nuclear option,” said…

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Syracuse Catholic Bishop Douglas Lucia is set to celebrate a Special Mass on Sunday for abuse survivors.

The service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday in observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. It will be held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception at 259 E. Onondaga St. in downtown Syracuse.

Lucia oversees the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, which includes about 200,000 Catholics across seven counties in Central New York.

The diocese recently exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy, six years after filing for protections as it faced a growing number of sex abuse lawsuits.

The centerpiece of the diocese’s bankruptcy exit plan was the creation of a roughly $176 million compensation fund for abuse survivors if they ended their lawsuits against the church. In all, 411 abuse claims were filed.

Lucia has repeatedly apologized for any abuse that happened….

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More than 50 years after the alleged abuse by former Oakland priest Stephen Kiesle, a civil jury has awarded one of his accusers $16 million.

Rick Simons, an attorney for survivors, said the verdict reflects the lasting impact of childhood sexual abuse, particularly when it involves clergy. “We were very pleased that the jury recognized how severe and long-lasting childhood sexual assault is, particularly when it involves the betrayal of trust by a priest to an altar boy. How severe, long lasting and permanent that is, and the depth of harm that was done to that child that he cared,” Simons said.

The verdict against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland is giving hope to other survivors of clergy sexual abuse, according to Simons. He said legal options remain for some victims. “Suits can be still filed by people who are under 40 or by people who, within the last…

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An Alameda County jury on Wednesday awarded $16 million in damages to a man who was sexually abused in the 1970s by a notorious Oakland priest, lawyers for the survivor said, marking a milestone decision in a wave of similar lawsuits filed in recent years. 

The case is likely among the first to reach a jury verdict under the California Child Victims Act, a 2020 law that made it easier to bring litigation in decades-old child sexual assault claims, according to law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates. 

“This is a case about accountability, it’s about justice,” Rick Simons, the lead trial lawyer for the survivor, said in a statement. “It’s about (the victim) finding his voice and regaining his power. We stand with him on this momentous day.” 

The civil case was brought by an unnamed survivor who was abused as a child by Stephen Kiesle, a convicted criminal who was…

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Senate Democrats oppose measures reducing how long people have to file personal injury and uninsured motorist claims, saying the insurance industry is holding abuse survivors ‘hostage’

A bill to more than quadruple the time childhood sexual abuse victims have to sue their abusers stalled this week in the Missouri Senate after Democrats accused insurance lobbyists of using it to impose shorter limits on personal injury lawsuits.

It’s the fourth year Republican state Rep. Brian Seitz of Branson has sponsored legislation aiming to increase the window for childhood sexual abuse survivors to file civil claims. And it’s the second year that proposal has been combined with legislation that would reduce the statute of limitations for personal injury claims — part of an effort by lawmakers to stave off opposition from the insurance lobby. 

Seitz, who has attributed past failures of his legislation to…

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The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has agreed to cover $45.8 million of a settlement for individuals abused at Chruch-run institutes in St. John’s, including the infamous Mount Cashel Orphanage.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has agreed to pay $45.8 million to individuals abused at Catholic-run institutions across the province, including the notorious Mount Cashel Orphanage, parishes and government-funded schools.

Lawyers representing hundreds of claimant survivors and counsel for the province’s justice and safety department presented this tentative settlement to Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador Justice Garnett Handrigan during an April 24 court hearing.

Handrigan will approve or deny the proposed compensation agreement at a later date.

St. John’s Archbishop Peter Hundt confirmed in an email “the $45.8 million that the provincial government has agreed to pay is part of the $121-million compensation awarded by the Court to the victims of Church-linked abuse.”

Hundt also stated that “like…

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On the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ death, we remember the late pontiff and some of the most significant moments of his papacy.

On April 21, 2025, the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica tolled for Pope Francis, marking the end of his life and his 12-year papacy. As the 265th successor of St. Peter, the Argentinian pontiff left a lasting impact on the Catholic Church.

Here are nine significant moments that have become part of Pope Francis’ legacy:

1. Election of the first Latin American pope

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis was the first pope from Latin America and the first Jesuit to hold the office — two “firsts” that signaled a shift away from a historically Eurocentric Church. His choice of the name Francis, inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, hinted at priorities rooted in humility, poverty, and care for creation.

Even his first appearance broke with…

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Catholic parish pastors were told at a recent emergency meeting in Westchester that the New York Archdiocese needs to collectively raise hundreds of millions of dollars more for its fund for the victims of past sexual abuse or the archdiocese could be forced into bankruptcy.

The Archdiocese of New York may be going bankrupt. The shocking news stunned pastors who were summoned to a recent emergency, all-hands meeting in which they were told that, despite real estate selloffs and cost cutting, the $300 million fund to pay off past victims of sexual abuse by priests and lay personnel was still hundreds of millions of dollars short of what is needed to reach a global settlement.

That woeful underfunding comes despite the Diocese having sold off over $800 million worth of real estate over the past two years. Pastors received the devastating news on April 17 at the sprawling 40-acre St….

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The Vatican imposed confidential disciplinary measures on its former bishop in 2021.

A Belgian diocese confirmed this week that the Vatican imposed confidential disciplinary measures on its former bishop in 2021.

The Diocese of Namur, in southern Belgium, said April 21 that retired Bishop Rémy Vancottem was informed five years ago that he could no longer celebrate Mass in public or participate in bishops’ conference bodies due to his mishandling of an abuse case.

The 82-year-old Vancottem led the diocese from 2010 until his retirement in 2019, at the age of 75.

The disciplinary measures came to light following inquiries by the Belgian weekly magazine Humo.

The magazine published an article April 20 highlighting that the diocese will host four bishops following the return to Belgium from France of the 85-year-old Archbishop André Léonard. The diocese is also home to Bishop Fabien Lejeusne, who has led the diocese since December 2025, and…

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The journalistic legacy of longtime National Catholic Reporter contributor Jason Berry has now been preserved by University Press of Mississippi as part of their Literary Conversations series. The new book Conversations with Jason Berry compiles 23 archived interviews in which Berry reflects on the forces that have shaped his work — including uncovering corruption in the Catholic Church, and chronicling the rich cultural and political landscape of Louisiana. 

Conversations with Jason Berry

Howard Hunter, editor

218 pages; University Press of Mississippi

$25.00

The following are excerpts from the book.

“Rockburn Presents,” a cable public affairs TV talk show in Canada, 2012

Rockburn: The beginning of your work with Charles Evers led to a book you wrote (Amazing Grace, 1973) Were you always inclined to go in that direction? Is that the career path you planned for yourself?

Berry: Not exactly. I wanted to be a writer….

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It is the first time that the Episcopal Conference recognizes such a high number of alleged aggressors

The Catholic Church has more than 1,000 alleged sexual abuse offenders. This has been acknowledged by the Secretary General and spokesperson for the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), Francisco César García Magán. In a press conference this Friday, the spokesperson for the Spanish Church admitted that they have 1,131 complaints collected over the last five years and a thousand alleged offenders. This is the first time the institution has acknowledged figures of this magnitude.

These figures have been made public after the 129th plenary assembly of the CEE, during which it was reported that in 2025, 93 new complaints for sexual abuse were received by the 262 child protection offices created by both dioceses and congregations. To try to curb this scourge and prevent new cases, last year the CEE carried out several training…

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A parish pastor in western Finland has been charged with sexual offences against children, with three alleged victims identified in a case set to proceed in court.

Prosecutors have brought charges against the man, who is in his forties, including three counts of sexual abuse of a minor and three counts linked to breach of duty, according to Helsingin Sanomat.

The alleged offences took place during the spring and early summer of 2023. The case involves three complainants. Hearing dates have not yet been set.

The pastor served in a parish within the Turku archdiocese in the Satakunta region. Church authorities have suspended him from both his parish duties and priesthood following the charges.

The investigation began after the parish became aware of the allegations in autumn 2023. The parish then contacted police and filed a criminal complaint.

A statement from the archdiocese confirmed that the employee was…

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A state appeals court has upheld a former Morgan County pastor’s sodomy conviction.

A ruling released Friday shows that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Danny Duane Pitts’ 2024 conviction.

Pitts was arrested in 2021 and charged with first- and second-degree sodomy after the case against him sat cold for years. The case was first reported to police in 2007.

Pitts was convicted of second-degree sodomy in 2024 following accusations of a long-term sexual relationship with an underage member of Gracepoint Church.

He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Online records from the Alabama Department of Corrections show Pitts has served almost a year and a half of that sentence at Elmore Correctional Facility.

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Kendrick J. Guidry of Lake Charles’ handling of the situation has invited questions about why he didn’t recuse himself much earlier.

Only one Louisiana judge, Kendrick J. Guidry of Lake Charles, has ruled in favor of the Catholic Church’s ongoing attempts to strike down a state law which allowed old abuse claims their day in court – even after a state Supreme Court decision upheld the constitutionality of that so-called “lookback window.”

But now, that judge is being forced to acknowledge that his ruling benefitted a specific Lake Charles church whose finance committee he sits on, giving him a direct financial interest that required his recusal under the state’s judicial code. 

His handling of the situation has invited questions about why he didn’t recuse himself much earlier. And it served up another of multiple instances in which avowedly Catholic judges in Louisiana have issued a ruling in favor of a…

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The suit concerned allegations against former priest Stephen Kiesle, who has faced dozens of lawsuits regarding alleged child abuse.

A California man has been awarded a massive $16 million payout in a civil suit regarding allegations against a former priest from the Diocese of Oakland.

A jury in Alameda County Superior Court on April 22 awarded the eight-figure settlement to an unidentified John Doe amid ongoing bankruptcy proceedings brought by the Oakland Diocese.

The law firm Jeff Anderson and Associations said in a press release that the settlement was “the first case to reach a jury verdict under the California Child Victims Act.” The law, passed in 2019, opened a three-year window for alleged abuse victims to file claims outside of the standard statute of limitations.

The allegations brought by the John Doe in Oakland concerned Father Stephen Kiesle, a priest who has faced multiple abuse allegations dating…

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A jury awarded a survivor of abuse by Stephen Kiesle, a defrocked Catholic priest of the Oakland (California) diocese, $16 million yesterday.

The abuse occurred in a blue-collar parish called Our Lady of the Rosary in Union City, California. That parish, with an elementary school, hosted at least three other priests accused of abuse, including George Crespin, who supervised Kiesle and was later elevated to be the Vicar General and Chancellor of the Oakland Diocese. Crespin is named in multiple lawsuits.

While no amount of money can ever recapture a lost childhood or make up for a lifetime of trauma, the court system has sent a message that covering up and enabling the sexual assault of children cannot be tolerated.

Kiesle has over 60 cases pending in the Oakland diocese bankruptcy, and dozens of other victims. He isn’t the only bad guy who wore the clerical collar and committed abuse….

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A national garden proposed by survivors of clergy sexual abuse promises to foster healing not only for survivors but also for the Catholic Church as a whole in the nation’s capital.

“We can’t heal alone,” said Mike Hoffman, chair of the National Healing Garden Working Group. “We want to heal with you, with our Church, with the bishops, with the priests. We want to heal together,” added the executive director of the National Catholic Restorative Justice Initiative, a group dedicated to restorative justice for survivors of Catholic clergy abuse. 

East side of Caldwell Hall

Hoffman, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse by clergy, and Deacon Bernie Nojadera, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection, spoke with OSV News about the efforts behind the National Healing Garden, which will be on the grounds of The Catholic University…

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He told the Pope he had been sexually abused and said he was met with silence.

For years he was a public face to what had happened to so many others, bearing witness as a victim in what had long been a dark secret within the Catholic Church.

And finally, he went to court.

Decades after James Grein was brought to the Vatican in 1988 by then-Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick to meet Pope John Paul II, where he said he quietly disclosed that McCarrick had been sexually abusing him since he was a young boy — and years after he went public with his accusations — his attorney on Thursday announced that a settlement had been reached with the Diocese of Metuchen and the Archdiocese of Newark to resolve a lawsuit that has been playing out in the New Jersey courts since 2018.

The attorney, Mitchell Garabedian,…

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A Bergen County man who said he was abused for nearly two decades by former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick has settled his lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Newark and Diocese of Metuchen, receiving an award that his attorney described as in the “high six-figures.”

James Grein, who grew up in Tenafly, alleged that he was molested dozens of times in New Jersey and outside the state by McCarrick, including at a family wedding in Massachusetts. According to Grein, the abuse by McCarrick, a family friend, began in the 1970s when he was 11 years old. It allegedly lasted through 2000, when McCarrick ended his tenure as Archbishop of Newark to take the same position in Washington, D.C.

McCarrick died last April at 94. He was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 after a Vatican investigation determined he sexually molested adults as well as children.

The settlement…

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Neighbors worried about Geoff Drew living on a dead-end street filled with children in West Side, but his family and mother refused to house him

Former priest and convicted rapist Geoff Drew cannot live in his mother’s West Side home when he is released from prison in August, because his family has refused.

Ohio prison officials recently notified Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich of Drew’s request to live with his elderly mother. The address had not received final approval.

That prompted many neighbors to worry about the children who live and play in that quiet, dead-end street. An elementary school bus stop is right in front of his mother’s house.

“It really shook me because you’re putting him back into the same environment that he abused in,” neighbor Stacy Hudepohl said. “If you had somebody who robbed banks and had an addiction to robbing banks, you wouldn’t move them next…

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Lindsey Whiteside, a former youth pastor and coach accused of sexually abusing a teen, is seeking to delay her trial date.

Whiteside, an assistant girls’ basketball coach at DeSoto Central High School, was federally indicted on new charges for coercion of a minor and transporting a minor across state lines for sexual purposes.

According to a motion filed April 22, Whiteside’s attorneys want more time to talk with prosecutors and decide whether a trial is necessary.

They also cite Whiteside’s health issues, disclosing that she was recently hospitalized while incarcerated for heart-condition complications.

If the court grants the motion, the trial date for June 1, 2026 will be pushed back.

Prior to her new federal charges, Whiteside pleaded guilty to sexual battery of a minor.

Following the guilty plea, a judge sentenced Whiteside to three years of house arrest and seven years of probation.

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Drivers through Downtown Pensacola on Wednesday morning may have encountered some traffic, but instead of cars holding things up, it was a group of about 100 walkers, survivors and supporters bringing awareness to child sexual abuse.

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Scott Peyton has been waiting for a decision from the Vatican.

The Catholic deacon from Louisiana, who in May 2024 appealed his excommunication after leaving the church in the aftermath of his son’s abuse case, has spent about two years waiting for a ruling from Rome. 

The appeal remains unresolved, leaving his canonical status uncertain and extending a case that has drawn attention to the intersection of church law, pastoral practice and the handling of abuse-related disputes.

According to The Guardian, in May 2024 Peyton appealed formally against his excommunication to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. 

The outcome could determine whether the excommunication was applied in accordance with canon law and how similar cases may be approached in the future.

Peyton, who was raised Methodist, entered the Catholic Church as an adult. His conversion, formalized in 2001, was followed by what…

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There has been ‘substantial’ progress in the preparations for a hearing on the case of a priest facing a series of sex offences, Derry Magistrate’s Court heard.

Edward Gallagher (58) of Orchard Park, Lifford is charged with one count of attempted sexual communication with a child on dates between April 2 and April 17, 2025, and with seven further charges including inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch sexual activity, and possessing indecent images of children.

At Thursday’s sitting a prosecutor told the court that the Public Prosecution Service had received a full file but there was a large number of alleged offences to be directed.

She said that an adjournment of four weeks was required for a decision, and for file preparations before a date can be set for a Preliminary Enquiry.

Defence solicitor Derwin Harvey said that this was substantial progress.

The case…

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As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is encouraging parishes to offer special prayer services and Masses during National Child Abuse Prevention Month, which is observed each April, a victim is coming forward to share her experience of the abuse she suffered at the hands of someone who was supposed to represent the church.

“We trusted him. He was elevated in our family because he was a priest,” said Ellen Mrha. She said she was abused by Placid Kaczorek, a deceased Franciscan priest who is listed on the diocesan website under the Finding of Credibility of an Allegation of Sexual Abuse of a Minor by Another Diocese or Religious Order. Mrha said seeing his name on the list of credibly abused priests let her know she wasn’t alone.

“After he died, I had tried to get him on bishops’ accountability. Someone sent me a link and there it was….

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An Alameda County jury on Wednesday awarded $16 million in damages to a man who was sexually abused by his priest more than 50 years ago when he was a child, setting what will likely be a precedent used in hundreds of similar claims.

The verdict is believed to be California’s first in a Catholic clergy abuse case since a change in state law led to a flood of litigation in 2019. It is expected to have far-reaching consequences for the hundreds of cases against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland that have been tied up in bankruptcy proceedings for years.

“It tells everyone, including the bishops and the Roman Catholic officials … and other survivors that society, as represented by a jury, is tired of this,” said attorney Rick Simons, the lead plaintiffs’ liaison counsel. “They are yelling that it’s time for change, it’s to make places safe again, and…

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A jury in Oakland has awarded $16 million to a survivor in a civil lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, a verdict that could have broad implications for hundreds of similar clergy abuse cases.

The case was one of hundreds of lawsuits filed by survivors of clergy abuse against the diocese. Most of those cases have been on hold since the diocese filed for bankruptcy three years ago.

A judge allowed this case, along with a handful of others, to move forward. It is the first to reach a verdict.

The lawsuit was brought by a plaintiff identified as “John Doe,” who said he was sexually abused more than 50 years ago by former East Bay priest Stephen Kiesle. The jury found the diocese liable and awarded $16 million in damages.

The survivor’s attorney said the verdict brings some closure to his client and could encourage others to…

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After more than nine months of waiting, a family has received the full first-instance verdict in a case involving sexual abuse of a child allegedly carried out by a priest in a church.

The first instance court has found Catholic clergyman Krišjānis Dambergs guilty of a sexual crime against a minor, sentencing him to eight years in prison and two years of probation. The verdict will be appealed by both parties – the victims and the accused.

Riga City Court Judge Edīte Turkopule, who made this decision, indicated that the defendant’s guilt has been proven in the court’s opinion. The case was heard in a closed session, so the judge emphasized that she was not allowed to comment on anything that happened during the hearing.

Both parties plan to appeal the Riga City Court’s decision – the accused because he maintains he is innocent and the victim’s family because they feel the sentence is too light…

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Justice minister hopes funding will help bring a measure of closure to a dark chapter in province’s history

The provincial government has agreed to write a cheque for $45.8 million to help compensate those who were abused at Catholic-run institutions in Newfoundland and Labrador, with a judge expected to approve the tentative settlement on Friday in St. John’s.

It’s the latest reckoning in a dark chapter in the province’s history.

The tentative settlement was finalized earlier this week between the government and the lawyers representing hundreds of victims who were abused by Christian Brothers, clergy and other church leaders at institutions like the notorious Mount Cashel orphanage and Catholic-run, government-funded schools in eastern Newfoundland.

“It’s very significant, and it’s going to put money into the hands of survivors that we’ve been fighting for 30 years,” said lawyer Bob Buckingham, who represents 91 abuse survivors.

The courts ruled that the Roman…

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Bishop Barry Knestout of Richmond, Virginia, urged vigilance in child protection, and Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago posted a video message about the monthʼs observance on behalf of U.S. bishops.

Dioceses nationwide are observing National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Cardinal Blase Cupich and Bishop Barry Knestout are urging renewed vigilance and commitment to the protection of children.

In a video message on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Cupich reflected with gratitude on the bishops’ adoption of the 2002 “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” while Knestout separately emphasized April as a time for prayer, education, and recommitment to the well‑being of the young.

Cupich described the bishops’ enactment of the 2002 “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” in the video as “something important and that I’m really proud of.”

“When I look back at the 50 years…

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A Tennessee musician has been charged with 160 counts related to alleged child sex abuse, including rape, according to court documents.

Phillip Vaught was arrested over the weekend following an extensive and lengthy investigation by Hendersonville police.

A Sumner County indictment lists 160 counts against Vaught, which include sexual abuse of a child, rape and exploitation.

The charges, according to local news outlet WECT, include five counts alleging sexual abuse of a child, including aggravated rape and soliciting sexual exploitation. A further 76 counts allege that Vaught unlawfully and knowingly used a minor in the production of material that includes the minor engaging in sexual activity. Several other counts relate to allegations of possession of child pornography, amongst other charges.

Court records indicate the alleged crimes date back to 2015 and continued as recently as January 2026.

Vaught, a Nashville-based country rock singer, has been described as a crossover artist with Christian and gospel roots. His father…

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Lithuania’s government has launched legal action against a local authority for failing to remove the name of a disgraced Catholic cardinal from public streets.

Authorities filed a complaint with a regional administrative court against the Vilnius District Council after it missed a deadline to rename two streets honoring the late Cardinal Henryk Gulbinowicz, sanctioned by the Vatican over allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct. 

Government representative Gedmantė Eimontienė confirmed the move, saying the lawsuit would be withdrawn if the municipality complies and changes the street names. 

The council, dominated by the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania–Christian Families Alliance, had been instructed to act by mid-April but failed to reach a decision.  

Gulbinowicz was born and educated in the Vilnius region, which was part of Poland before World War II, and he returned to the area several times during his life. 

A planned vote in March was postponed pending the…

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In 2020, facing hundreds of sexual abuse claims, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. To pay for the projected bankruptcy settlement, the diocese decided to start closing and selling off churches.

This did not sit well with many parishioners, including Mary Pruski. She was a member of St. Bernadette’s Catholic Church in Orchard Park, New York. 

The diocese sought to shut down the church. But Pruski and a group of parishioners called Save Our Buffalo Churches said no. They helped organize an effort to keep the church open. Using canon law, the parishioners appealed the closure and won. As a result, St. Bernadette’s remains open today.

Save Our Buffalo churches says that closures of churches are permitted for grave cause only, and extinctive mergers of parishes for just cause. Grave cause does not include priest shortages, diocese financial issues, nor demographic changes which are temporary…

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A former Palmetto pastor will be spending the rest of his life behind bars after being found guilty on multiple sex crimes against children.

On Wednesday, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office announced that Jonathan Elwing was found guilty of all twelve of his criminal charges, which included capital sexual battery, the production of child sex abuse material (CSAM), and possession of CSAM.

“He was subsequently sentenced to three consecutive life sentences,” the sheriff’s office said.

Palmetto church in shock after pastor arrested on child porn charges

Elwing was first arrested in June 2024, after detectives learned that the defendant, a senior pastor at Palm View First Baptist Church in Palmetto at the time, used cryptocurrency to purchase CSAM.

Detectives searched the church and Elwing’s home on June 21, 2024, finding four explicit images of children on his cellphone. He resigned from the church before his arrest.

Upon further investigation,…

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A Manatee County jury convicted a former Palmetto pastor Tuesday of sexually abusing a 2-year-old and recording the abuse on his cellphone.

Jonathan Edward Elwing, 45, will spend the rest of his life in prison after jurors found him guilty of 12 charges, including capital sexual battery, lewd or lascivious molestation and crimes tied to the production and possession of child sexual abuse material.

Circuit Judge D. Ryan Felix sentenced Elwing immediately after the verdict, which came following about an hour of jury deliberations at the Manatee County courthouse in downtown Bradenton.

“This was a short trial. It’s a trial that’s short because the evidence was overwhelming. It was strong,” Felix said, sentencing Elwing to life in prison on all 12 counts. “I don’t have a lot to say preceding my sentence other than these acts were evil…the appropriate sentences will be life in prison. You don’t belong…

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Services could be numbered at a storied church on Staten Island’s North Shore, while the Archdiocese of New York fields concerns that the land could be sold to developers.

For more than a decade, the Korean Catholic Apostolate has leased the church property on Jackson Street at Beach Street in Stapleton — formerly St. John Baptist de la Salle R.C. Church.

This week, the Archdiocese of New York confirmed rumors circulating local community groups that it does not plan to renew the parish’s lease in June.

The Korean Catholic Apostolate could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

The Archdiocese of New York issued a statement about the property’s future.

“As is happening elsewhere, so-called national parishes, at one time established to serve the needs of a particular national or ethnic community, are being discontinued and the members of those parishes are being integrated into the local…

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An Alameda County jury began deliberating Tuesday in what may be the first Catholic clergy abuse case in California to reach trial.

The historic civil case centers on a 61-year-old man who said he was repeatedly molested as a 10-year-old altar boy by a Catholic priest in Union City more than 50 years ago. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland does not dispute that the abuse occurred or that it failed to properly supervise the priest. What remains for the jury to decide is how much money the man is owed for enduring the trauma.

The verdict, expected as early as Wednesday, could have far-reaching consequences not just for this plaintiff, but for hundreds of others still waiting for their abuse cases against Northern California clergy to be resolved.

“After years of stalling, and delays, and tricks of all kinds and procedural tactics to stall these cases, finally the first one…

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In short:

Queensland’s Labor Party will introduce a private member’s bill aiming to close a “loophole” preventing some victims of institutional abuse from seeking justice.

It comes after a 2024 High Court decision found the Catholic Church not vicariously liable for abuse perpetrated by one of its priests.

What’s next?

The opposition will introduce the private member’s bill to parliament this week.

Queensland’s Labor opposition will introduce a private member’s bill to parliament seeking to close a “loophole” that it says is “protecting paedophiles and the institutions that gave them power”.

In 2024, a High Court decision found the Catholic Church was not vicariously liable for the actions of a paedophile priest because he was not an ’employee’. His work arrangements were only similar to employment.

Since that decision the ACT and Victoria have passed legislation expanding the liability of churches, sporting groups and other organisations to include the actions of…

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In the aftermath of three sexual abuse convictions, an MLive investigation examined the history of Living Word Church in Midland County and its founder, televangelist Mark T. Barclay.

Reporting explored how the initially small church over nearly five decades grew into an international religious enterprise — and how allegations of abuse inside Barclay’s inner circle exposed divisions between church leadership, victims and former members.

Here are some takeaways from the MLive investigation:

THE CONVICTIONS

Beginning in 2023, three leaders within Living Word Church were charged and convicted of sexual abuse involving at least eight children.

The offenders included Associate Pastor Randy L. Saylor, who has followed Barclay since 1980; Randy Saylor’s son, church elder Brandon Saylor; and James P. Randolph, who is Barclay’s son-in-law.

Brandon Saylor and Randolph worked with the youth ministry, according to the church and former…

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Bellevue Baptist Church, one of the largest churches in the Mid-South, is investigating an allegation that a teenage boy was sexually abused by a church employee, according to a letter sent to members.

Church leaders said the allegation involves a minor who was 15 years old at the time and a 19-year-old part-time, hourly employee. The church said it reported the allegation to authorities immediately and that the employee has since been fired.

Leaders also said the employee is no longer serving in any role at the church and said their “hearts are with the student and family involved.”

The letter also acknowledged concerns from parents, stating that the church’s child-protection policies remain in effect and will continue to be reviewed.

Some in the community expressed concern following the news.

“Based on the negative stigma surrounded by really large churches, honestly, I’m not really surprised,” said Memphis resident Lexi Jackson….

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A former coach and physical education teacher at a Hall County private Christian school was arrested Thursday and charged with taking photos and videos under the clothing of female students.

Joel Ernest Lulinski, 52, of Cleveland, Georgia, allegedly committed the acts while working at Lanier Christian Academy in Flowery Branch, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO).

The victims were all female students at the school who were under 16 years old, the sheriff’s office said.

Lulinski is charged with 27 counts of the felony charge of the use or installation of a device to film underneath or through an individual’s clothing under certain circumstances, deputies said.

The investigation into Lulinski’s activities began April 2, when a victim reported her suspicions to school officials.

School officials immediately contacted a deputy, who was working extra duty at the school, according to the sheriff’s office.

The deputy shared the report with…

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Canada’s Residential School Survivors Face Critical Deadline to Save Testimonies

In a poignant development, survivors of Canada’s residential school system are embroiled in a fresh and urgent battle to prevent the destruction of their harrowing testimonies. First Nation communities across the nation are raising alarms, insisting that the federal government must take immediate action as thousands of first-hand accounts detailing systemic abuse and suffering face imminent erasure. This looming threat risks obliterating a central component of Canada’s ongoing reckoning with its colonial legacy, a process that has been described as confronting a policy of “cultural genocide”.

A Legacy of Pain and a Court-Ordered Deadline

The crisis stems from a 2017 Supreme Court of Canada ruling that mandated the expungement of all documents from the Independent Assessment Process (IAP) hearings after a period of ten years. The court argued that claimants had a reasonable expectation of confidentiality when they agreed to testify…

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If you made an Independent Assessment Process (IAP) or Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) claim for compensation for residential school abuse, the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement says that you can request a copy for yourself and save your IAP or ADR records for history, public education, and research.

Information here can help inform your decision.

About IAP and ADR Records

The IAP is the Independent Assessment Process for compensation claims of abuse at residential schools. The ADR was the earlier Alternative Dispute Resolution process.

These records include your name and all of the information you provided for your IAP or ADR claim, everything you said at your hearing, what the adjudicator said about you in their decision, and the compensation you received.

Your Choices

You have four options for your IAP or ADR records. You can:

• Do nothing and your records will remain confidential until they are destroyed on September 19, 2027.
• Get a copy for yourself to…

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Despite the findings nearly eight years ago, meaningful legislative change has yet to happen.

Survivors, advocates, and supporters from across Pennsylvania gathered at the Pennsylvania State Capitol, calling on lawmakers to pass long-awaited protections for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

“If they’re time-barred, then individuals don’t have an opportunity to seek justice, and then those individuals who have committed those crimes continue to go on without any accountability,” said Laquisha Anthony, executive director of WOAR, the Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence.

The rally also comes years after the landmark Pennsylvania grand jury report on Catholic Church sexual abuse, which exposed widespread abuse within the Catholic Church and detailed decades of institutional cover-ups.

Advocates say that despite the findings nearly eight years ago, meaningful legislative change has yet to happen.

“You also have to remember that there is a lot of money coming from powerful institutions, not just…

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Man, now 61, describes fear he acquired at 10, as infamous priest began raping him

More than 50 years ago, a notorious Catholic priest in Union City used the pretext of overnight church sleepovers to repeatedly molest a fifth-grade altar boy — forbidding him from telling another soul.

Now, an Alameda County jury must decide how much money that boy – grown into a 61-year-old father of four – is owed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland for enduring that abuse.

Closing arguments are scheduled to begin Tuesday in the the lawsuit, which could have far-reaching consequences on plodding settlement talks between the diocese and hundreds of other victims claiming years of similar abuse. The case is one of six so-called “bellwether” lawsuits, which were allowed to proceed toward trial after years of delays brough on the diocese’s decision to file for bankruptcy protection in 2023.

In hours of testimony Monday,…

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A house church that formed in Grandview after the International House of Prayer-Kansas City ousted founder Mike Bickle over a sex abuse scandal is calling for a worldwide week of prayer and fasting for his “heaven-ordained destiny.”

“We are joining globally on a 7 day fast specifically targeted upon Mike Bickle — to push back the press of darkness and agree with Heaven’s narrative over his life to come forth,” said an email sent over the weekend to Bickle supporters.

The fast is to go from May 1 through May 7, which is IHOPKC’s 27th anniversary.

The action has infuriated sex abuse survivors and former supporters of the 24/7 global prayer ministry and renewed concerns that the fallen charismatic leader is trying to orchestrate a comeback.

IHOPKC announced in December 2023 that it was “permanently” separating from Bickle after allegations were made public that fall that…

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A Clinton County pastor pleaded guilty to four of the 12 charges against him involving sex with a minor.

Silas Shelton, 49, pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual conduct and menacing by stalking charges.

In exchange, rape, gross sexual imposition and arson charges were dropped.

Shelton was listed online as the pastor of Blanchester Community Ministries on Main St. in Wilmington.

Some of the counts involved sex abuse of a teen stemming from incidents in 2019.

Shelton is also charged with having sex with a minor who was a member of his congregation in 2022.

In both cases, the minor was under the age of 16, according to court papers.

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The Nasarawa State Police Command says it has arrested a pastor, Asonye Isaiah, for allegedly defiling a teenager under the guise of performing spiritual cleansing in the Old Kwarshi I area of Abuja.

PUNCH Metro learnt on Sunday from a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Rahman Nansel, that the arrest followed a report by the victim’s guardian on Saturday.

According to Nansel, the guardian had reported that the suspect told her that her niece was possessed and required spiritual cleansing at a river.

He narrated that rather than carrying out the cleansing, the pastor allegedly took the victim to a hotel where he had carnal knowledge of her.

The statement read, “Operatives attached to Karshi Divisional Headquarters have arrested one Pastor Asonye Isaiah, 37, of Rock of Love and Adoration Ground, Old Kwarshi I, Abuja, for allegedly defiling a 16-year-old girl in Nasarawa State.

“The arrest followed a complaint…

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In recognition of Crime Victims’ Rights Week, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is reaffirming the Department of Attorney General’s commitment to protecting, empowering and advocating for crime victims across the state. Since taking office in 2019, Attorney General Nessel has prioritized crime victim services, expanding efforts to ensure survivors receive support and resources.

“The top priority of our criminal justice system should always be to support crime victims, both by pursuing justice in their cases and standing with them along the way,” said Attorney General Nessel. “This requires a system that treats survivors with fairness while respecting their dignity and privacy. My office remains committed to ensuring victims do not have to navigate the criminal justice system alone.”

In 2023, Attorney General Nessel launched the Address Confidentiality Program to protect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, or those who fear that disclosure of their physical address will increase…

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More than half of the cases are located in Colombia, and the rest in Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador, the United States, Mexico, and Venezuela

[PHOTO: Manuel Montoro, a victim of abuse within the Church, on April 13.- Paco Puentes]

In 2018, EL PAÍS launched an investigation into pedophilia within the Spanish Church and maintains an up-to-date database of all known cases. If you know of any cases that have not yet been reported, you can write to us at: abuses@elpais.es. For cases in Latin America, the address is: abusesamerica@elpais.es

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The investigation that EL PAÍS has undertaken in recent years into clerical pedophilia in the Americas, in which it has already published dozens of cases, continues with the delivery to the Vatican of a report containing 21 testimonies accusing a total of 24 priests, religious members, and laypeople from eight countries. Colombia accounts for more than half of the…

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[To watch video, click here.]

A federal bankruptcy judge has established an absolute deadline of Sept. 11 for survivors of alleged clergy abuse to file claims for compensation against the Catholic Diocese of El Paso. The ruling, finalized during a bankruptcy hearing this past Tuesday, marks a critical milestone in the church’s Chapter 11 reorganization. The Diocese filed for bankruptcy earlier this year after facing dozens of lawsuits alleging clergy abuse in parishes across southern New Mexico between the 1950s and 1980s.

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In short:

• Queensland’s Labor Party will introduce a private member’s bill aiming to close a “loophole” preventing some victims of institutional abuse from seeking justice.
• It comes after a 2024 High Court decision found the Catholic Church not vicariously liable for abuse perpetrated by one of its priests.

What’s next?

• The opposition will introduce the private member’s bill to parliament this week.

Queensland’s Labor opposition will introduce a private member’s bill to parliament seeking to close a “loophole” that it says is “protecting paedophiles and the institutions that gave them power”.

In 2024, a High Court decision found the Catholic Church was not vicariously liable for the actions of a paedophile priest because he was not an ’employee’. His work arrangements were only similar to employment.

Since that decision the ACT and Victoria have passed legislation expanding the liability of churches, sporting groups and other…

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Syracuse, N.Y. – Syracuse Catholic Bishop Douglas Lucia spoke at a prayer service Friday evening dedicated to survivors of sexual abuse within the Catholic church.

Around 70 people gathered at LeMoyne College’s Panasci Chapel for an hour-long service that was organized by Hope, Healing and Solidarity, a Central New York-based organization dedicated to educating people about sexual abuse within the Catholic church and how to prevent it.

People prayed and listened to a testimony from sexual abuse survivor Jim Boone, who survived abuse by a priest when he was a teen nearly 60 years ago.

People also participated in a “Healing Ritual,” a symbolic candle-lighting ceremony meant to represent the light of Jesus guiding people to face their trauma and heal from it.

In February, a federal judge approved a plan that allowed the Catholic Diocese of Syracuse to emerge from bankruptcy. That plan includes a $176 million…

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[Click here to see video.]

A federal bankruptcy judge has established an absolute deadline of Sept. 11 for survivors of alleged clergy abuse to file claims for compensation against the Catholic Diocese of El Paso.

The ruling, finalized during a bankruptcy hearing this past Tuesday, marks a critical milestone in the church’s Chapter 11 reorganization.

The Diocese filed for bankruptcy earlier this year after facing dozens of lawsuits alleging clergy abuse in parishes across southern New Mexico between the 1950s and 1980s.

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The Idaho Supreme Court heard oral arguments Friday in a lawsuit brought by a Nampa man who alleges that he was sexually abused as a child by a Catholic priest in Moscow.

The man said he was raped at the age of 9 by Father Patrick O’Sullivan in his family home in 1968. O’Sullivan was a priest at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, where the man’s family attended and where he went to school. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise owns St. Mary’s and assigned O’Sullivan to the parish.

The man filed a claim of constructive fraud against the diocese and St. Mary’s in March 2021. To prove constructive fraud, a plaintiff has to establish that there was a relationship of trust and confidence, along with several other elements.

The diocese and St. Mary’s asked the district court for a summary judgment, which it granted. That means the judge…

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Months after Bethel Church announced Pastor Ben Armstrong had been placed on administrative leave, the church says it is bringing in additional third-party oversight and has confirmed the firm leading an independent investigation into sexual abuse allegations against the longtime ministry leader.

In an April 2 update, Bethel leaders said they are engaging an outside expert to review the church’s governance, leadership structure and internal culture, expanding their response beyond the ongoing inquiry into Armstrong, the church’s Prophetic Ministry director and former Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry Revival Group pastor.

The announcement comes two months after the church placed Armstrong on leave following the release of a YouTube video in which a former student publicly alleged clergy sexual abuse dating back to 2009.

“As a broader leadership team, we want to understand and address how we can do better in the future by bringing in…

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Sansue Bee Vang faces potential life sentence for molesting four girls and raping two women in his religious organization

A religious cult leader from Oroville, California, Sansue Bee Vang, was found guilty in February of eight counts of child molestation and three counts of rape after a seven-day trial. Vang’s sentencing, originally scheduled for Tuesday, has been pushed to June 9 to allow numerous victims to provide statements to the judge.

Why it matters

This case highlights the devastating impact of sexual abuse within insular religious communities, where leaders can exploit their position of authority to prey on vulnerable followers. It also raises questions about how such abuses can be prevented and addressed within minority faith groups.

The details

Vang created, founded and led a Hmong religious organization called Kev Ntseeg Leej Niam Kee Tiam Vaj Lis Thum in Oroville after starting it in Wisconsin. He then moved to Fresno,…

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Archbishop William Lori avoids having to testify at Archdiocese of Baltimore bankruptcy hearing

Clergy sex abuse survivors anticipated hearing testimony from Baltimore’s archbishop, but heard instead from other church officials at the latest hearing for the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s bankruptcy case.

A federal judge heard arguments Thursday on a motion filed by survivors and other creditors seeking a court-ordered freeze on the sale of parish and school properties during bankruptcy proceedings.

Attorneys for the survivors said transactions continue in violation of Chapter 11 rules, saying the archdiocese is offloading assets and hiding it from creditors.

The debtor, the archdiocese, said parishes and schools are a separate entity, and so the sales have nothing to do with the bankruptcy case. The archdiocese said some sales require approval from the Vatican, and all of them require a series of religious paperwork, including special decrees saying the property’s no longer…

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The Government will present a bill to Parliament so that financial compensation to victims of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church is exempt from IRS taxation announced the Ministry of Finance.

In a statement, the Ministry of Finance explains that this exclusion will also apply to financial compensation awarded for sexual abuse to minors and vulnerable adults “in other similar situations”.

The Portuguese Episcopal Conference announced at the end of March that each of the 57 victims of sexual abuse with an approved compensation request will receive between nine and 45 thousand euros, for a total of more than 1.5 million euros.

In a statement released at the time, CEP explained that, of the 95 requests received, 78 were considered eligible and 17 were immediately archived. Of those considered eligible, 11 were rejected, 57 requests have already been given the green light for compensation, worth 1,609.650 euros.

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Collin Killoren, the former Kaukauna area teacher accused of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), received his sentence on Thursday.

Killoren, 31, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by 10 years of extended supervision, court records show.

The former teacher at St. Ignatius Catholic School initially faced 30 counts of child sexual exploitation and possession of child pornography. However, 13 counts were dismissed, and he was sentenced on the remaining 17.

Killoren pleaded guilty in February and was arrested in April 2025.

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Now the parents say they feel “gaslighted” by the bishop of Charlotte and are outraged an internal probe has absolved the priest.

A Catholic priest at a North Carolina diocese has been accused of ambushing high school girls with what their parents call “unexpected” and “inappropriate” questions about sex while he was hearing their confessions.

But while Bishop Michael Martin, who heads the Diocese of Charlotte, has acknowledged the parents’ concerns, a diocesan investigation has concluded the priest did not cross the line when he asked the young women whether they had sex with their boyfriends or whether they masturbated.

“The Diocese of Charlotte looked into complaints raised about conversations that occurred during confession at Charlotte Catholic High School last December,” the diocese said in a statement this week to NBC affiliate WCNC of Charlotte. “No violations of our conduct policies were identified.”

That…

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For the second time in a decade, the St. Coleman’s community has been hit by six-figure embezzlement.

A former Catholic school principal in Miami will avoid jail time after being convicted of stealing $200,000 from the school where she worked – the second six-figure theft discovered at St. Coleman’s Church and School in the past eight years.

Former principal Lori St. Thomas received 10 years’ probation and is being required to pay back $121,548 to St. Coleman Catholic School, where she had worked for more than 20 years before being fired in 2024.

The sentence comes less than a decade after another $200,000 theft was discovered at the same parish: The parish pastor resigned in 2018 after the archdiocese announced that he had stolen the money.

A retired IRS investigator told The Pillar the case should serve as a warning to Catholic leaders to ensure that parishes, schools, and other Church institutions…

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Pressure on the Catholic Church is no longer just external, and is being brought to bear not only on the individual perpetrators, but also now on those who protected them.

On February 12, Catholic Bishop Artur Wazny faced reporters in the Polish industrial city of Dabrowa Gornicza and apologised for crimes that he did not commit.

“Today I confess our shame and our sorrow,” he said, addressing survivors of abuse by local clergy. “I apologise for every moment you lived through in a church that was meant to be a home, but became for you a place of darkness, a place of wounding.”

Bishop Wazny had taken office less than two years earlier, appointed by Pope Francis to a diocese he had not shaped and had no part in damaging. He apologised on behalf of those who had.

The diocese he inherited, Sosnowiec in the south of Poland,…

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Clergy sex abuse survivors claim the archdiocese is offloading assets to avoid paying creditors

Clergy sex abuse survivors in Baltimore have accused the Archdiocese of Baltimore of violating bankruptcy rules by continuing to sell parish and school properties during its Chapter 11 proceedings. The survivors argue the archdiocese is offloading assets and hiding them from creditors, while the archdiocese claims the properties are separate entities not subject to the bankruptcy case.

Why it matters

The case highlights the ongoing battle between the Catholic Church and clergy abuse survivors seeking compensation, as the archdiocese attempts to navigate the complex bankruptcy process and protect its assets from creditors’ claims.

The details

At a recent bankruptcy hearing, survivors and other creditors filed a motion seeking a court-ordered freeze on the sale of parish and school properties, arguing the transactions violate Chapter 11 rules. The archdiocese claims the properties are separate entities, and some…

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As transnational repression sees a global surge, an alarming case of sexual harassment has sparked outrage across Indonesia.

Authoritarian governments are increasingly reaching across borders to persecute their own citizens. That is according to the human rights group Freedom House, which made the allegation on Thursday. They noted this trend was especially high last year in Southeast Asia and East Africa.

In its annual report on transnational repression, the rights group identified China as the world’s “leading perpetrator” in twenty twenty-five. Vietnam and Russia followed closely behind. What’s more, six countries joined this long list of violators for the very first time. Those countries are Afghanistan, Benin, Georgia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. These new additions bring the number of nations known to carry out this specific kind of rights violation since twenty fourteen to at least fifty-four.

To put that in perspective, that forms more than…

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Edwards said that Tyler Moreland, 30, has waived his extradition hearing, and is awaiting extradition. He will remain in the Houston County Jail until then.

A Central Georgia youth pastor accused of downloading sexually explicit images of children is being extradited to Pennsylvania, according to Houston County District Attorney Eric Edwards.

Edwards said that Tyler Moreland, 30, has waived his extradition hearing and is awaiting extradition. He will remain in the Houston County Jail until Pennsylvania officers arrive to pick him up.

He added that he’s not sure when Moreland will be picked up from jail. Edwards said neighboring states usually pick them up within the week. However, it may take longer due to the distance between Georgia and Pennsylvania.

Investigators said Moreland was in contact with a child and downloading explicit images. According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s office, he was arrested in Houston County and faces…

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“I spent over 50 years in Missouri. I was abused in Missouri.”

Tammy Woods was 14 years old when she claims Mike Bickle, the founder of the International House of Prayer KC, began sexually abusing her.

Bickle has never been arrested nor charged for the suspected abuse. Woods did not reveal what happened to her until the age of 57.

In Missouri, the statute of limitations on reporting abuse and having a chance at filing a civil suit against an abuser runs out for a person at 31 years of age.

KMBC 9 is your home for Missouri breaking news and weather. For your latest Missouri news and weather visit: https://www.kmbc.com/

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Key takeaways:

• Abuse survivors’ lawyers initiated an adversary proceeding against the Archdiocese of Baltimore over church consolidations and property sales.
• Maryland U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michelle Harner issued a temporary injunction halting most Seek the City real estate transactions.
• Bishop Adam Parker testified about the archdiocese’s control over parish mergers and property sales.
• The victims’ committee seeks to declare the archdiocese and its parishes one entity for bankruptcy purposes.

The consolidation of Catholic churches in the Baltimore area — and the related sale of church property — were the subject of an evidentiary hearing Thursday in the Archdiocese of Baltimore‘s bankruptcy case.

Lawyers for survivors of child sexual abuse in the church in late February initiated an “adversary proceeding” against the archdiocese, arguing it has withheld information about its Seek the City to Come initiative, through which 61 parishes in and around Baltimore are being consolidated into 30. The victims say…

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The clergy sex abuse scandal deeply affected Syracuse and many other communities. One local group is trying to promote healing – far past church contrition and financial settlements.

Matthew FitzGibbons buried the abuse he suffered as a child for decades. The memories came roaring back at age 57.

“It affects everything, the anger at the church. For me, the church was my lifelong rock. And to have the basis of my life mission be pulled off as maybe it’s a hoax,” FitzGibbons said. “And then you start questioning, everything that you think you believe in now becomes suspect.”

And it was jarring. He lost his job; relationships with family, siblings and friendships were affected. He actually could forgive his abuser for being sick, but not the church for the lengthy coverup.

Still, FitzGibbons felt he couldn’t give up the church, saying that he felt a message from God. “I’ve had…

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An organization advocating for survivors of clergy sexual abuse is holding a healing service for survivors and families in Syracuse this weekend.

Michael Koplinka-Loehr of Lansing has spent his life dealing with the decades-long trauma of being groomed and sexually abused by a priest.

“It’s a long time for someone in their teen years to have that developmental stage kind of interrupted by someone who’s Interested in getting their, their needs met sexually,” said Koplinka-Loehr. “So I’ve had a lifelong journey of the impact.”

He’s been sharing that experience with the Syracuse Catholic Diocese through the group Hope, Healing and Solidarity, which is sponsoring this weekend’s events. He said it’s more important now than ever to keep the issue in the forefront, now that the Syracuse Diocese has reached a financial resolution to the clergy sexual abuse cases locally, making payments of $176 million to victims.

“It’s…

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A Super­ior Court judge on April 14 refused to dis­miss a sexual assault charge against a Cath­olic priest who was removed from the min­istry by the Provid­ence Dio­cese.

Judge Luis Matos rejec­ted a request by Kevin Fis­ette, 70, of Dayville, Con­necti­cut., to drop the first-degree sexual assault charge against him for allegedly abus­ing a 13-year-old boy between 1981 and 1982 in Burrillville. Fis­ette had alleged that the state viol­ated his due pro­cess rights.

Matos said in his bench rul­ing he found no evid­ence that the state attor­ney gen­eral’s office had acted in “bad faith” in its hand­ling of the case. He dis­missed as spec­u­lat­ive argu­ments that men­tal-health records related to his accuser that have since been des­troyed would have bolstered his case.

Fis­ette’s law­yer, J. Richard Ratcliffe, declined com­ment fol­low­ing the judge’s rul­ing. Fis­ette, who said noth­ing in court, is also being rep­res­en­ted by Craig V. Montecalvo.

Sexual assault charge…

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NL Appeal Court orders insurance to pay back premiums, lawyers for abuse survivors reviewing decision to determine next steps

A trial judge was right to void an insurance policy over the St. John’s Roman Catholic archdiocese’s failure to disclose sexual abuse allegations in the 1980s, but wrong to allow the insurance company to keep the premiums, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Court of Appeal has ruled.

In a decision released publicly on Wednesday, April 16, 2026, the court upheld a finding that the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of St. John’s breached its duty of good faith by not telling Guardian Insurance Company of Canada it was aware of the allegations against its clergy when it obtained a policy in 1980 and renewed it yearly for at least four years.

However, the court found there was no proof the archdiocese had intended to commit fraud, and ordered the insurance company to refund the…

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The church immediately terminated the employee, and has cooperated with law enforcement investigation. The man was also a teacher and coach in Dublin.

A youth pastor at a Monroe County church is in jail facing five arrest warrants out of Pennsylvania after investigators say he was in contact with a child and downloading explicit images. According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s office, all five counts are for possession of child porn.

In a release, investigators said John Tyler Moreland, 30, of Macon, was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Houston County after Pennsylvania State Police identified pornographic images being downloaded in the area of Mount Zion Baptist Church on Rivoli Road.

Moreland has worked as the Director of Students and Families at the church since June 2025. He was immediately terminated upon his arrest on April 13, 2026, according to church officials.

Larry Collins, head of Trinity Christian School…

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Claimant in N.S. class action frustrated by delays, lack of information

Timothy Clark felt a growing sense of duty. To say something, to protect others. So he popped some coins into a school payphone and dialed the number for the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Halifax.

It was 1984 and he was 14 years old.

A member of the archdiocese office staff answered, he says. He told her he wanted to talk about a priest who had touched him inappropriately. She took his home phone number and said someone would reach out. No one, he says, ever called.

“They basically just ignored me,” Clark, now 55, said in a recent interview at his home in Wileville, N.S.

For nearly four decades, he kept the sexual abuse he suffered as a young teen close to him. So it was with some trepidation that, in 2023, he decided to make a claim as…

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A cross-party effort caused two House members to resign on Tuesday under threat of expulsion — and the two female lawmakers who helped lead that push say additional members of Congress could face pressure next.

In an interview with CBS News, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández — a Republican and a Democrat, respectively — described how they coordinated to push Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales to step down this week rather than face votes to remove them from office over allegations of misconduct.

Multiple women in recent days have accused Swalwell of sexual assault or sending unsolicited explicit messages, which he has denied, and Gonzales has faced scrutiny over an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. Swalwell also dropped out of the California gubernatorial race over the weekend, while Gonzales dropped his bid for reelection last month.

Luna and Leger Fernández said they worked…

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South Korea’s Education Ministry on April 1 distributed multilingual guidebooks on sexual violence prevention to international students through support centres nationwide, as the foreign student population continues to grow.

The brochures are available in seven languages – Korean, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mongolian, Uzbek and Nepali – reflecting the major nationalities of international students in Korea.

They outline key concepts and types of sexual violence, along with practical guidance on how to seek help or respond when witnessing incidents, using scenario-based examples.

The initiative comes as the number of international students has risen sharply, from 153,000 in 2020 to 253,000 in 2025. The ministry said the materials are intended to help prevent incidents while ensuring students can access assistance promptly.

Officials noted that some cases have shown international students struggling to respond appropriately due to language barriers and cultural differences, even after incidents occur.

The guidebook is available at universities’ human rights centres…

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Recently leaked screenshots of a lewd group chat among law students at the University of Indonesia (UI) have brought renewed attention to the prevalence of sexual violence in Indonesian universities.

Information about the group chat on messaging apps WhatsApp and Line first surfaced on April 12, when a new X account named “sampahfhui” (or “trash from UI law school”) posted several screenshots with the caption “students from UI Law School created a group where they harass women every day???”.

The post has since been shared more than 90,000 times.

The screenshots show obscene conversations about the physical attributes and anatomy of several female law students at UI, the country’s most prestigious university. In one exchange, the group members appear to joke about rape, saying that “silence means consent”.

The floodgates opened: Within days, more leaked screenshots involving students from other colleges engaging in crude banter made the rounds on social…

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The case involves inappropriate content, discussions targeting female students and lecturers in a chat group

An alleged case of online sexual harassment at a leading state university in Indonesia targeting female students and lecturers with male students posting inappropriate content and discussions in a chat group has raised nationwide concerns.

Rector Heri Hermansyah of the University of Indonesia (UI) in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta, confirmed the case was reported in its Faculty of Law and is being investigated by a Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Task Force.

“We will continue to monitor the situation,” he said on April 14, adding that they may coordinate with law enforcement authorities if involvement of criminal elements is found.

he investigation began after screenshots of the group chats began circulating online on April 12.

A legal counsel for the victims said that so far, 20 students and seven lecturers within the faculty…

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To the Editor:

The shocking and sudden collapse of the reputation of an American icon, Cesar Chavez, due to his sexual exploitation of his colleague, Dolores Huerta, and many others — with some 12 or under and fathering four children outside his marriage — reminds us that putting our unquestioned confidence in a particular hero and thus blinding ourselves to one’s faults and sins is extremely disillusioning and dangerous.

Those in the Catholic and wider community have learned bitter lesson over the last 20 years as the clerical sexual abuse scandal — exacerbated by clericalism, hierarchical neglect, denial and cover-up — took its toll on the spirituality of the faithful, confidence in all clerics, and any appreciation of what is the “Church.”

It has been a painful and costly resolution for the Syracuse Diocese and so many others throughout the country as parishes and other institutions have…

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Topics such as sexual assault have been difficult for survivors and historians to write about, even decades after the war.

Adek Stein – a Holocaust survivor from Bialystok, Poland – looked anxiously about the room, struggling with the question he’d just been asked. As his eyes searched his small audience, it was clear he was nervous. That itself wasn’t new. But the interviewer had asked about sexual violence during the Holocaust, and Stein’s face seemed to betray a pain and worry he had lived with for years.

The USC Shoah Foundation, which filmed its interview with Stein at his home in Australia in 1995, tries to interview survivors one-on-one, without distraction. But that day, several young women, presumably members of Stein’s family, stayed in the room as he gave testimony – including his experiences as a forced laborer at the Treblinka extermination camp, where more than 900,000 Jews were murdered. Then…

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37-year-old Kirsten Rose charged with multiple counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor

A 37-year-old Florida math teacher has been arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a high school student. Kirsten Rose, a teacher at Cocoa Beach High School, was arrested after the student’s parents discovered the relationship and the student confessed. Rose has been charged with five counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

Why it matters

This case highlights the ongoing issue of educator sexual misconduct in the U.S., which researchers say is “100 times worse” than the Catholic church sex abuse scandal. While female teacher-student relationships often generate headlines, studies show the majority of cases involve male teachers abusing female students.

The details

According to authorities, Rose began chatting with the student on Instagram in November 2025 and the relationship escalated to sexual activity in February and March 2026. The student’s parents became…

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Citing an overload of evidence, defense attorneys for Anthony Odiong have obtained a delay for the trial of their client, accused of sex assault and fathering children.

The hearing Tuesday in 19th District Court came as the former Catholic priest was set to go on trial May 4. Odiong has been indicted on three counts counts of sexual assault by a McLennan County Grand Jury.

Prosecutors also were granted their motion to consolidate all of the charges against Odiong in one trial.

McLennan County District Attorney Josh Tetens said it could be moved to May 26 with a decision by the court to come by Friday.

Anthony Odiong served as a Catholic priest at St. Peters Catholic Student Center in Waco, as well as St. Mary’s of the Assumption in West from 2007 to 2012.  Investigators say they also know that Anthony Odiong served in Luling, Louisiana from around 2015…

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A McLennan County judge granted a defense request Tuesday to postpone the sexual assault trial of disgraced Central Texas Catholic priest Anthony Odiong while he approved a state request to consolidate the cases of three of Odiong’s alleged victims into one trial.

Odiong, 57, who was set for trial in 19th State District Court on May 4, has been in the McLennan County Jail in lieu of $5.5 million bond for 617 days. Despite that delay, his attorney, Gerald Villarrial, sought a delay in his trial, telling Judge Thomas West during a hearing Tuesday that the voluminous information gathered in the investigation is the most he has seen during his 32 years as an attorney.

West, who had given the case a priority setting for May 4, granted the defense’s request and scheduled jury selection to begin on May 23, with testimony to kick off May 26 following the Memorial Day…

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Monroe County Sheriff’s release says John Tyler Moreland, 30, was arrested on 5 warrants accusing him of downloading pornographic images of children

U.S. Marshals arrested a youth pastor on child pornography charges in Houston County, according to a press release from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office said John Tyler Moreland, 30, was arrested for downloading pornographic images of children. 

According to the release, Pennsylvania State Police found that explicit images were downloaded in the area of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, where Moreland was employed as a youth pastor. Pennsylvania police then contacted the Monroe Sheriff’s Office.

Larry Collins, head of Trinity Christian School in Dublin, added that Moreland was employed at the school for the school years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021.

Collins said Moreland was a history teacher and had also coached both middle school football and wrestling.

Moreland, a Macon native, was arrested by…

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According to court documents, four additional charges were filed on Wednesday against Michael McMullen.

A Dauphin County pastor accused of sexually abusing minors in his congregation faces new charges this week. 

Last year, police charged Michael A. McMullen Sr. after a victim reported alleged inappropriate behavior in September. That investigation prompted further victims to come forward, leading to a second case being filed in February 2026.

Now, McMullen has been charged in a third case, in which he faces three felony counts and one misdemeanor — including indecent assault of a person under 13, corruption of minors, aggravated indecent assault of a person under 13 and indecent assault of a person under 13.

At the time of the first case, McMullen served as a pastor at St. John AME Church in Lebanon. He was named the Chief Marshall of the First Episcopal District – AME Church in February…

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Survivors say a diocesan settlement in bankruptcy court only amplifies the need for outreach and healing.

Jim Boone has a message for survivors of sexual abuse by priests and other clergy.

He knows that in February, the Diocese of Syracuse formally emerged from bankruptcy. Chief Judge Wendy Kinsella, of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of New York, approved an agreement that will distribute $176.1 million to hundreds of survivors of abuse by Catholic priests in the Syracuse area, with an arbiter deciding specific awards.

Boone realizes that to people unaffected in a direct way by the abuse or its consequences, that court decision might seem like the closing of a door on a long, sordid and painful episode in the history of the church in Central New York.

Yet as Boone cannot forget, based on harsh experience:

It never truly ends.

“Guilt. Shame. Horror. Embarrassment,” he said. “Broken…

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Southern Baptist mega-pastor Heath Lambert posted a video talking about “Seven Years of the SBC Sex Abuse Disaster.”

Of course, first off, we all know that the SBC “disaster” has been going on a great deal longer than seven years. It was nineteen years ago, in April 2007, when ABC 20/20 did a national exposé that spotlighted the sexual abuse of children by preachers of the Southern Baptist Convention. So, that’s when Southern Baptist leaders lost plausible deniability. They’ve known for a very long time about the widespread abuse of kids and congregants in their churches.

Now we’re seven years past another major exposé – the Abuse of Faith series in 2019 – and Southern Baptists still haven’t done diddly-squat.

Lambert’s video offers a good illustration of the kind of platitudinous drivel that Southern Baptist leaders dish up to avoid actually reckoning with their clergy sex abuse problem. It’s the kind of propaganda that perpetuates…

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Vincent Cassidy, 84, abused two young boys, even abusing one while hearing his confession.

A former priest who was extradited to face justice in Scotland has been jailed for nine years after being convicted of sex offences in the 1970s.

Vincent Cassidy, 84, was convicted of two charges of indecent assault and one of lewd and libidinous practices which had a “devastating” impact on the victims.

The offences related to two young males, one of whom was 16 at the time and the other being aged between eight and 12.

A court was told that Cassidy’s abuse was an “egregious breach of trust”, where he used his position as a priest to gain the confidence of his parishioners and their families.

For the first victim, the abuse took place at a church in Greenock and involved a number of instances of sexual contact.

For one of Cassidy’s victims, who is now…

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The school denied liability but reached a settlement with the longtime art teacher who alleged retaliation for speaking up about student safety.

Salesianum School, a Catholic high school in Wilmington, Delaware, has settled a lawsuit filed by a former teacher and alum, Brian Magargal, who claimed he was forced out of his job because he pointed out lapses in the school’s training program meant to prevent child abuse. The school denied the claims and liability, but reached a settlement with Magargal, whose terms are not public.

Why it matters

The case highlights ongoing concerns about accountability and transparency in private schools, especially those with histories of sexual abuse allegations. The lawsuit also raised questions about the school’s leadership and its treatment of employees who raise concerns about student safety.

The details

Magargal taught art at Salesianum for nearly three decades and at one point directed the art department. He sued…

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Richard Adamsky pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse material charges and will serve more than seven years in prison

A man who taught at a Bucks County Catholic school for nearly four decades has been sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison for possessing child sex abuse material.

Federal prosecutors said Richard Adamsky, 66, of Warminster was sentenced in federal court to 90 months behind bars, followed by 10 years of supervised release. ordered to pay nearly $100,000 in various fines.

Adamsky pleaded guilty last December to one count of receipt and attempted receipt of child sexual abuse material as well as one count of possession, after admitting to knowingly receiving the material for at least four years.

He also possessed two computers and two flash drives with illegal images on them. Some of them included sexual depictions of children younger than 12.

At the time of his…

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This story discusses sexual crimes against children. Reader discretion is advised.

Almost 25 years ago, the Boston Globe released a series of investigative articles that looked into years of abuse one priest had gotten away with for decades. The case of that single priest led to the exposure of many other clergymen who had committed similar crimes. The research showed that the Catholic Church, with no preventative measures in place for such situations, only shuffled the abusive priests around from parish to parish, while encouraging victims and their families to remain quiet about the abuse.

This piece of journalism, among others, marked a significant shift in how the public expects religious organizations to handle instances of abuse. Churchwide policies are easily found online. Entire law firms have been dedicated to taking religious organizations to court, awarding victims financial compensation for the pain they have endured. Such law firms include Andrews…

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A judge entered a not guilty plea Tuesday for a priest accused of child pornography possession.

Fr. Andrew Showers, 38, faces two counts of possession of child pornography. He returns to court May 18 for a status conference.

Showers waived his preliminary hearing Tuesday. Showers then stood mute and did not enter a plea, so Judge Diane Meulemans entered the not guilty plea for him. Showers appeared in court in civilian clothes and was not wearing a priest’s collar.

Showers also faces charges for trying to meet who he believed was a 14-year-old girl, but “Abby” was actually an undercover police officer. He was charged in August with attempted sexual assault of a child, attempted child enticement and attempted use of a computer for a sex crime. A status conference is set for May 13 in that case.

These new charges are…

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