Men [of God] at work Massachusetts

28 Feb 2001

MASSACHUSETTS

MIDDLETON - Parents here are shell-shocked after prosecutors revealed that a church worker, already accused of sexually molesting 3 boys, may have harmed hundreds of other children.

"You trust your children in the hands of others," said one mother. "You yourself wouldn't harm a child, yet you never know what can happen to your own."

The accused man - Christopher Reardon, 28 - served as a Catholic youth worker, summer camp counselor and Boy Scout volunteer in the town.

The charges against Reardon involving the first three boys include rape and assault. But investigators said they found a computer list in Reardon's bedroom that contained the names of as many as 250 boys between the ages of 5 and 14 and graphic descriptions of their bodies.

At Reardon's arraignment, the prosecutor told the court that a tape found at Reardon's house showed "the defendant, along with another young boy, approximately 11 years of age, in acts of mutual masturbation." And a hidden camera was found in the church rectory where Reardon was a youth coordinator.

Adding to the anguish is that prosecutors maintain the law prohibits them from releasing the children's names found in the suspect's bedroom. That has left parents trying to determine whether their children were victimized. Experts in childhood trauma said parents should watch their children for signs of difficulty sleeping, nightmares or eating disorders.

CNN 6/22/2000

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BOSTON - Infamous former priest James Porter, who was convicted of sexually assaulting more than two dozen children, lost his second bid for parole. Porter, 65, has served 7 years of an 18 to 20 year sentence after pleading guilty to 41 counts of raping and molesting 28 children.

AP 4/10/2000