Church Scandal Reports: From Priests Names Revealed to Priest Child Porn Charges Dropped
Below are three stories of priest in the news regarding child sex abuse.
U.S. Judge demands Church reveal names of priests accused of child abuse
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has stressed they have complied and that “much of the information in question has already been made public”
The judge has ordered the Catholic Church of Los Angeles to turn over the names of priests accused of molesting minors. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has said it will respect Judge Emilie Elias’ decision, which reverses a ruling by retired Judge Dickran Tevrizian, who forbade the publication of the names of the hierarchy for fear they could be used to embarrass the Church further.
Elias, on the other hand, stated that the public has the right to be informed about how the Archdiocese has handled the sex abuse issue, and therefore ordered that all deleted names be re-inserted in the relevant documents. “We are now working with all parties involved to facilitate the release of the documents as promptly as possible,” an archdiocese communiqué reads. Read more here.
Child porn charges against priest dropped
Child pornography charges against a former Evergreen Catholic priest have been dropped with a deferred prosecution agreement approved by Flathead County Attorney Ed Corrigan.
The Rev. Rudy Bullman was charged last Feb. 29 with felony sexual abuse of children after a handheld game console he reportedly sold was found to have photographs of nude boys on it.
But the charge was dismissed on Wednesday, Jan. 2, with the deferred prosecution agreement that requires Bullman to live up to a series of conditions for the next three years.
Bullman was a priest at Risen Christ Parish in Evergreen for about 10 years before he was placed on administrative leave by the Diocese of Helena in December 2011.
The agreement requires Bullman to participate in counseling,...Read more here.
Former Derry priest leaves post after allegations
An allegation of sexual abuse dating to the late 1980s in St. Thomas Aquinas Parish has forced a Franciscan priest from his college administrative post in Pennsylvania.The Rev. Michael Ledoux, 55, never admitted doing anything wrong and has said he was innocent as recently as last week.
But when confronted with the possibility of an investigation into the matter by his superiors at Widener University last summer, Ledoux resigned his post, Widener spokesman Dan Hanson said yesterday.
“He was told he would be placed on administrative leave, pending the investigation,” Hanson said.
“He chose to resign.”
The allegation was first reported a decade ago to New Hampshire church officials by Boston attorney Carmen Durso, representing a man who accused Ledoux of abusing him in St. Thomas Aquinas Parish when he was a teenager. Read more here.
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