Godspeed? LA Priest Accused in 1999 of Sexual Abuse Just Removed, The Laist, February 15, 2011

Godspeed? LA Priest Accused in 1999 of Sexual Abuse Just Removed

The Laist
February 15, 2011

http://laist.com/2011/02/15/godspeed_la_priest_accused_in_1999.php

A priest accused twelve years ago of having a sexual relationship with a teenage girl in the 60s has recently been removed from his parish in Los Angeles, reports the New York Times. CBS Local reports that Reverend Martin P. O'Loghlen, who worked at Holy Name of Mary Church in San Dimas, was removed from any priestly activities, per an announcement Friday by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Julie Malcolm filed a lawsuit against Reverend Martin P. O'Loghlen, and his religious order, the Congregation of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, after being contacted several times by the priest. She received a settlement of $100,000 in 1999, reports the New York Times, and yet despite the Los Angeles archdiocese knowledge of Reverend O'Loghlen's sexual addiction and sexual abuse they did not remove O'Loghlen and allowed him served on a sexual abuse advisory board of the archdiocese.

"The failure to fully check records before granting priestly faculties is a violation of archdiocesan policy," Cardinal Mahony told the California Catholic Daily, in a statement. The Los Angeles archdiocese paid $660 million in a settlement in 2007 to 508 people who claimed they were sexually abused by an estimated 5000 priests as children, reports CBS Local.