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	Elder HS Sex Offender Archdiocese Investigation WCPO [Ohio] May 2, 2005 9News anchor, on camera: Tonight, a victim of child sex abuse warns the community about the teacher who abused him, a man whose crimes were never reported to police. 9News anchor, on camera: He's speaking out because the Archdiocese refuses to release the names of sex offendors it handled internally, to avoid scandal. The I-Team's Laure Quinlivan has the exclusive. Laure Quinlivan, I-Team reporter, on set: This victim just found out that he's allowed to talk about the teacher who abused him. He didn't think he could because of this confidential settlement he got in 1993. but the 2003 prosecutor's plea deal with the archdiocese… lifts confidentiality requirements. victims can now… bring out the truth. Laure Quinlivan, I-Team reporter, voice over video: THIS IS ST. LAWRENCE CHURCH ON CINCINNATI'S WEST SIDE (Nat). AROUND THE CORNER, KIDS PLAY BALL. THEIR PARENTS HAVE NO WAY TO KNOW… THEIR NEIGHBOR IS A RECOVERING SEX OFFENDOR. HIS NAME IS CHARLIE KAUFHOLD. (Laure Quinlivan) "Could we spend a couple of minutes with you and ask you a few questions? (Charlie Kaufhold) About what? (Laure Quinlivan) Do you remember Jerry Burke? (Kaufhold) Yeah." JERRY BURKE WAS KAUFHOLD'S STUDENT AT ELDER HIGH SCHOOL. HE'S NOW 52 YEARS OLD. (Jerry Burke) "I have a lot of anger inside, that's why I'm here, I want to bring closure to this, I want to bring everything out in the open." (Laure Quinlivan) "He has told us some things that happened." (Charlie Kaufhold) "I'm sorry, I've turned my life around." (Laure Quinlivan on camera) CHARLIE KAUFHOLD HAS NEVER HAD TO FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES, OR ANY KIND OF PUBLIC SCRUTINY. THAT'S BECAUSE THE ARCHDIOCESE KEPT HIS CHILD ABUSE A SECRET. WE'LL SHOW YOU WHY CHURCH LEADERS' CONTINUED SILENCE ON THIS SUBJECT COULD PUT MORE CHILDREN AT RISK. JERRY BURKE GREW UP IN THIS HOUSE IN SAYLER PARK, ONE OF 7 KIDS IN A BIG CATHOLIC FAMILY. HIS MOTHER STILL GOES TO MASS EVERY DAY AT ST. ALOYSIUS, WHERE JERRY AND HIS TWIN BROTHER WERE ALTAR BOYS. THE TWINS WENT TO ELDER HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER CHARLIE KAUFHOLD BEFRIENDED THEM. KAUFHOLD SNAPPED YEARBOOK PHOTOS, KEPT SCORE FOR ELDER'S BASKETBALL TEAM, AND LED CAMPING TRIPS. (Jerry Burke) "I was laying there in my sleeping bag and first thing I knew he was molesting me. And I just didn't know what to do, from that point on he took complete control of my life." BURKE SAYS KAUFHOLD OFTEN ABUSED HIM INSIDE ST. LAWRENCE CHURCH. HE WAS A BOY SCOUT LEADER HERE, WITH KEYS TO THE BASEMENT. (Jerry Burke) "He's take me into the basement there and do these things. He'd have pornography, he would have alcohol…He had power and that's what I saw and I was afraid." (Charlie Kaufhold) "The addiction isn't the sexual aspect at all. (Laure Quinlivan) What is it? (Charlie Kaufhold) It's the control. It's the control to get people to do what you want. Like I said, I never used force, I never used threats, I never hit anybody." (Jerry Burke) "I remember him hitting me…He would threaten me if I said anything to anybody" (Laure Quinlivan) "Jerry told us you did actually hit him. (Charlie Kaufhold) What? (Laure Quinlivan) You threatened you would hurt him if you told anybody. (Charlie Kaufhold) No, no, no. BURKE DID TELL SOMEBODY. BEFORE HE GRADUATED IN 1971, HE SAYS HE REPORTED KAUFHOLD'S ABUSE TO ELDER PRINCIPAL LAWRENCE STRITTMATTER. NOTHING HAPPENED. IN 1988, HE REPORTED KAUFHOLD A SECOND TIME, TO THEN ELDER PRINCIPAL TOM KUHN. (Jerry Burke) "I went to him face to face. And I begged him, I said Fr. Kuhn, I have been sexually abused by this guy, this teacher Charlie Kaufhold, and I said I need help." ONCE AGAIN, HE SAYS NOTHING HAPPENED. BURKE TRIED TO MOVE ON WITH HIS LIFE IN MONTANA, BUT HAD TROUBLE WITH JOBS AND RELATIONSHIPS. HAUNTED BY THE ABUSE, HE RETURNED TO CINCINNATI TO REPORT KAUFHOLD A THIRD TIME. IN 1991, HE MET WITH ARCHDIOCESE CHANCELLOR DAN CONLON. (voice of Jerry Burke ) "I let him know what happened" CONLON ACTED QUICKLY. (Jerry Burke ) "He says Charlie Kaufhold came forward and admitted everything." (Charlie Kaufhold) "Well at first they sent out one of the assistant superintendents. And I told him what happened, I wasn't going to hide it." KAUFHOLD SAYS HE TOLD THEM HE'D STOPPED ABUSING KIDS YEARS BEFORE. (Laure Quinlivan) "Father Conlon knew, who else? (Charlie Kaufhold) "Well I'm sure the Archbishop knew, like I say they have a due process system they have to go through." THE ARCHBISHOP OFFERED JERRY BURKE A 50-THOUSAND DOLLAR SETTLEMENT, THAT REQUIRED HE KEEP IT "CONFIDENTIAL FOR ALL TIME." THE ARCHBISHOP LET KAUFHOLD LEAVE ELDER, QUIETLY. HE DID NOT CALL POLICE OR INVESTIGATE WHETHER KAUFHOLD HAD OTHER VICTIMS. ELDER ALUMNI, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH CHILDREN, FEEL BETRAYED. (State Rep. Steve Driehaus, Elder Graduate) "I think there is a lot of resentment right now amongst my peers and amongst you know the students that were in school at the time because we didn't know. (cut to) I think it is just very disturbing to know that there were people in authority that knew that this was going on and they did nothing about it." WHY DIDN'T THE ARCHBISHOP REPORT KAUFHOLD TO POLICE? THE ARCHBISHOP DECLINED INTERVIEW REQUESTS, BUT ANSWERED IN WRITING. "UNTIL NOVEMBER 2003, THE ARCHDIOCESE GENERALLY DID NOT REPORT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT THE TESTIMONIES OF CHILD ABUSE VICTIMS WHO CAME TO US AS ADULTS…AND WERE CAPABLE OF MAKING SUCH REPORTS THEMSELVES." KONRAD KIRCHER REPRESENTS MANY VICTIMS WHO REPORTED THEIR ABUSE TO CHURCH LEADERS, TRUSTING THEM TO INVESTIGATE. (Konrad Kircher, Attorney) "They have to realize there have to be other victims out there. But the church never wanted to know who those other victims were. They placed the fear of scandal for the church as a higher priority than the well-being of children." CHARLIE KAUFHOLD'S VICTIMS INCLUDED JERRY'S TWIN BROTHER TERRY BURKE. THE TWINS DIDN'T SHARE THE HORRIBLE SECRET WITH ONE ANOTHER UNTL THEY WERE 38 YEARS OLD. (Laure Quinlivan) Did it involve his twin brother as well? (Charlie Kaufhold) Right. (Laure Quinlivan) Were there other kids at Elder that you also abused? (Charlie Kaufhold) Possibly, but that ended a long time ago. (Laure Quinlivan) "How many victims do you think you have? (Charlie Kaufhold) I don't know I never kept a record book" HOW MANY MORE FORMER ARCHDIOCESE EMPLOYEES WHO ABUSED CHILDREN ARE LIVING AMONG US? WHO ARE THEY? THE ARCHBISHOP WON'T NAME THEM. (Konrad Kircher, Attorney) "The church is aware that there are individuals living in society right now who have committed sex crimes against children in the past and they've admitted that. Who are living in the community totally undisclosed to their neighbors, to community members. And yes, I don't know of any reason why the church could not disclose those people's names so that people could be protected." (Michele Riggs, Neighbor) "I don't know that you can reform a sex offender, I mean it's like a leopard changing his spots, you know, they can't do that.' BUT MICHELE RIGGS SAYS HER NEIGHBOR CHARLIE KAUFHOLD SEEMS LIKE A GOOD GUY. HE SAYS NEIGHBORS NEED NOT WORRY. (Charlie Kaufhold) "I've changed my life. That's all I can tell ya. I don't befriend any of the kids on the street, I don't even know their names." SOUNDS LIKE HE'S CHANGED. THEN AGAIN, LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT THE ELDER BOYS HE ABUSED. (Charlie Kaufhold) "Kids that age old enough to be able to say no. There was no threats, you didn't have any coercion. Nothing like that." (Laure Quinlivan) Are you saying it was all consensual?" (Charlie Kaufhold) Yeah" (Konrad Kircher, Attorney) "If Mr. Kaufhold is saying today that his sex with 14 or 15 year old boys was consensual then his therapy has failed, his treatment has failed and he still doesn't get it, and he's still a threat to society." (Jerry Burke) "I bet you there were many instances with other kids." (Charlie Kaufhold) "I feel sorry for Jerry and any of my victims who are in pain. I pray for them every Sunday." AFTER LEAVING ELDER IN 1991, KAUFHOLD SOLD INSURANCE, AND MANAGED A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT. SINCE 1998 HE'S BEEN DRIVING A CONCRETE TRUCK. JERRY BURKE SAYS HE NEEDS COUNSELING. THE ARCHDIOCESE WILL PAY FOR IT. CHURCH LEADERS SAY THEY'LL PAY FOR COUNSELING FOR ANY VICTIMS WHO NEED IT. MOST IMPORTANTLY, VICTIMS SHOULD REALIZE THAT EVEN IF THEY GOT CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENTS IN THE PAST... HE CHURCH RELEASES THEM FROM CONFIDENTIALITY. VICTIMS MAY TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH NO FEAR OF RETALIATION. ARE VICTIMS THE ONLY WAY WE'LL LEARN ABOUT ALL THE OFFENDORS? COULD PROSECUTORS RELEASE OFFENDOR NAMES TURNED OVER BY THE ARCHDIOCESE? LEGAL EXPERTS SAY PROBABLY NOT BECAUSE THE PROSECUTORS GOT THE NAMES THRU THE GRAND JURY PROCESS, MAKING IT SECRET. HOWEVER, THE ARCHBISHOP COULD CERTAINLY RELEASE OFFENDORS' NAMES. VICTIMS HAVE ASKED HIM REPEATEDLY TO DO THAT, BUT HE HAS SO FAR REFUSED. FOR MORE INFO, GO TO OUR WEBSITE, WCPO.COM.
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