Arrested Ex-deacon in Pittsburgh Has Steubenville Roots

By David Singer
WTOV
April 20, 2018

http://wtov9.com/news/local/arrested-ex-deacon-in-pittsburgh-has-steubenville-roots

A deacon with the Pittsburgh Diocese who has been arrested on underage sex charges has a connection to Steubenville.

73-year-old Rosendo Dacal was arrested for exchanging sexually explicit messages and photos with a police detective posing as a young boy.

In Friday’s edition of the Diocese's Steubenville Register, NEWS9 learned Deacon Dacal taught at Steubenville Catholic Central High School in the 1960s and 70s.

Now, the Diocese wants anyone who may have been a victim or anyone potentially harmed by the former Spanish teacher to come forward.

Dacal was arraigned Monday after he was suspended as deacon with the Pittsburgh Diocese. He waived his case to court, including charges of child pornography, unlawful contact with a minor and criminal use of communications after allegedly sending videos to an undercover detective posing as a 14-year-old boy.

"These are devastating, serious charges,” said Defense Attorney Robert DelGreco.

According to court documents, Dacal is accused of exchanging hundreds of sexually explicit messages, photos and videos. When asked by reporters at his arraignment in Washington County, Penn., his defense attorney highlighted his education and accomplishments.

"(Dacal) is a renaissance man, to be sure. He's a mathematician. He's a polyglot, fluent in five languages. He's a lawyer. He was a deacon,” DelGreco said.

The Diocese is asking anyone who might have been a victim or harmed by Dacal to come forward. The investigating authority is the Vicar General, Monsignor Kurt Kemo. He can be reached at (740) 282-3631 or by email at kkemo@diosteub.org.

Friday was a day of transparency for the Steubenville Diocese. They first announced the wrap up their audit investigation, which will be made available in a few weeks.