The following newspaper clippings are taken from FREETHOUGHT TODAY,
published by The Freedom From Religion Foundation, P.O. Box 750 Madison.
WI 53701. My very special thanks to Alisandra for typing almost all of
this file.
- A woman suspected of being a witch was dragged from her hut, tied to a
tree, and then axed to death by neighbors in an eastern village in India,
the latest in several killings of women suspected of being
"witches." The Santhal tribes believe many women, especially
widows, have the power to heal the sick and cast evil spells. (AP/Quad
City Times 4/26/89
- REV. GARY HEIDNIK, convicted of raping and killing women he chained in
his Philadelphia church-home basement, received a 2nd death sentence. (USA
Today, 3/3/89)
- Every state except West Virginia has made snake-handling illegal.
There have been 11 documented deaths since 1945, although snake-handling
is also practiced in parts of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Tennessee,
thanks to Mark, chapter 16:17-18.
" See, I handle serpents because it's in the Bible, like a
commandment. And I drink strychnine because the Bible says it won't hurt
me. Now, either every word in that Bible is right or it's wrong,"
says snake-handler DEWEY CHAFIN. (People Magazine 4/26/89)
- A volunteer Sunday School teacher, music teacher and groundskeeper at
Bethel Baptist Church, Novoto, CA, CONFESSED to raping and murdering a 13
year old girl on April 13.
" I murdered her. I strangled her and I bludgeoned her," SCOTT
MARTIN WILLIAMS, 29, told police a week later. He lured Jenifer Moore, a
popular 8th grade student, into the church, tied her up, raped her,
strangled her with a cord and beat her with a baseball bat. His friends
insisted he could not be guilty, although police traced him through
incontrovertible evidence.
" He is a devout Christian," who likes to talk about God and
the Bible, said a clerk at the food mart managed by Williams, where he has
spoken often about the unsolved murder. (San Francisco Chronicle, 4/21/89)
- BARTLEY J. DOBBEN was judged mentally ill and guilty of 1st degree
murder for putting his 2 sons, ages 2 and 15 months, in a red-hot foundry
ladle on Thanksgiving Day.
Dobben said " God had dictated through the Bible" that he kill
his sons since they were going to die anyway. He had joined Emmanuel
Fellowship whose preacher violently attacked his own mother and checked
himself into a psychiatric hospital in late April. (AP 5/4/89; Mohave
Valley News, 5/18/89)
- Four members of the Ecclesia Athletic Association were convicted of
1st degree manslaughter for beating an 8 year old girl to death on Oct
13. Dayna Broussard was the daughter of the group's founder. CONVICTED
were: WILLIE K. CHAMBERS, 35; BRIAN K. BRINSON, 31; CONSTANCE Z. JACKSON,
38; and FREDRICK P. DOOLITTLE, 28. (Sacramento Union, 5/13/89)
- REV. HERMAN FOUNTAIN was sentenced to 1 year in jail and 4 years'
probation for striking a Mississippi state trooper. Fountain, 39, a
Baptist, operates the notorious Bethel Children's Home in Lucedale, MS,
which has refused to turn over records on children in its custody, many
of whom have run away and reported gross maltreatment. (Montgomery
Advertiser, 5/17/89) [More later on Rev. Fountain.]
- A Christian fundamentalist got 12-year probation, was ordered to pay
court costs and work 500 hours for setting 19 fires at Indianapolis
bookstores, massage parlors and their customer's cars, causing $170,000
in property damage and injuring two firefighters. Two other followers
of REV. GREG DIXON'S Baptist Temple await trial. (Indianapolis Star,
4/22/89)
- TONY ALAMO, leader of a Christian sect, was charged with felony child
abuse in the beating in 1988 of an 11 year old boy at the group commune
in Santa Clarita Valley.
" I favor spanking children; you know that. It says so in the Bible.
People have to decide whether to do what the Lord says or the state."
Alamo issued orders over a speaker phone, listing each of the child's
transgressions and dictated how many times to paddle the child. The child
could not sit down without a pillow for 2-3 weeks. Five of his followers
were also charged. (LA Times, 4/15/89)
- Officials stoned to death 11 prostitutes and 4 pimps in a sports
stadium as thousands watched in the Gulf city of Bushehr. A court had
convicted them of " spreading corruption on Earth," according to
the newspaper KAYHAN.
Typical execution by stoning involves hooding and burying prisoners in a
hole (waist deep for men, chest-high for women). Judicial officials or
police stand in a circle around the convict. The sentencing judge throws
the first stone as others follow, shouting 'Allah-O Akbar' (God is Great).
(Houston Post, 4/26/89)
- PIERRE LACROIX, a French Canadian Catholic TV evangelist, was freed on
bail from prison -- only 2 days after he was sentenced to 2 years in
prison. He was convicted of molesting a teenage boy for 5 years during
counseling sessions. Sentencing Justice Jean Bienvenue said Lacroix
carried on a " marathon of gross indecency" at his " Marathon
of Love" rallies. Pedophiles should not be loose on the streets, he
said. However, Judge Yves Bernier, Quebec Court of Appeal, said Lacroix's
return to society is not a public danger. The verdict and sentence are
under appeal. A Crown psychiatrist said the married father of 4 showed no
remorse or understanding of the gravity of his crime. (The Spectator,
3/16/89; Canadian Press, 3/18/89)
- Prominent former priest BRENDAN FOLEY was charged with sexually
assaulting boys between 1982 and 1985 when he worked as a parish priest.
Foley, 43, was known as the " Singing Priest." He is the 8th
well-known and popular member of Newfoundland's Roman Catholic community
to be charged with sexual abuse. Two priests are serving 5 year prison
terms; 3 other priests and a former priest await preliminary hearings.
The province of 567,000 people, one-third Catholic, only has 100 priests.
(Spectator, 3/18/89; Chicago Tribune, 3/27/89)
- COL. JAMES L. MOODY, Brooke Army Medical Center's top chaplain, who
faced up to 19 years, reached a tentative deal to serve no more than 3
years' prison for sexual misconduct involving 2 female clients. (San
Antonio Light, 3/29/89)
- The Roman Catholic Archdiocese-Atlanta is paying $358,000 to families
of 3 altar boys molested by British priest ANTON MOWAT. The Church
returned Mowat to England for treatment rather than reporting him to
police. Mowat fled the treatment center and is a fugitive. He was charged
last year with molesting 4 boys from a suburban Stone Mountain parish.
(Idaho Statesman, 4/6/89)
- Delaware TV preacher WILLIAM J. KEICHLINE, 52, known for homeless
work, is charged with 3 years of rape, bondage and homemade pornography
involving a girl, now aged 10. As her landlord, he threatened to evict
her family if she said anything. He was charged with multiple counts by
New Castle Co. police. Mission of Care, the 2-state ministry he founded
in 1979 -- including a TV show, " camp for needy children," and
outreach center -- ousted him following the charges. The group, long
affiliated with PTL Club, was honored by the state legislature in 1983
for opening a shelter for 17 homeless people during record cold; however
the shelter closed after 4 days for code violations. Keichline is married
with 3 grown sons. ([Wilmington] News Journal, 3/17/89; Sacramento Union,
3/18/89)
- ROBERT CUSHING, 36, of Dubuque, was sentenced to 10 years after
pleading guilty to a felony sex charge of molesting boys at Wahlert
Catholic High School, and 2 years to a charge of prostitution. (Clinton
Herald [IA], 4/4/89)
- DR. THOMAS HAVEL, a Catholic priest who heads the psychiatric unit
at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, Calif., is being sued by a
34-year-old former client who says he sexually exploited her for 5 years
starting when she was 13. Her attorney says the priest admitted the abuse,
offered the woman a $135,000 confidential settlement and threatened to
commit suicide if she didn't take it. The hospital, which never
investigated the charges, says his work there is " flawless."
(San Jose Mercury News, 3/29/89)
- SHAWN CHARLES " BROTHER DUSTY" WILLIAMS, 50, got 10 years
in jail after pleading guilty to showing pornography and fondling 2 young
boys. The preacher-plumber worked as a volunteer bus driver for the New
Covenant Fellowship Church of San Antonio, picking up stray kids to take
them to church. He blamed the " devil" for his crimes. (San
Antonio Light, 4/6/89)
- The Roman Catholic Archdiocese-Baltimore made a secret settlement with
a couple who accused REV. WILLIAMS Q. SIMMS of molesting their 13 year old
son, an altar boy. He suffered depression and required psychiatric
treatment, following the inflicted " ritualistic sexual fantasies."
The family had asked for $12 million. (Maryland Sun, 3/28/89)
- REV. WILLIAM EDWARD THOMPSON, JR., 45, charged with 21 counts of child
sexual abuse, pleaded guilty in a plea bargain. The married father of 4
sons was headmaster at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in Catonsville. He
was charged with child pornography and molesting 7 boys, ages 11 to 16,
in his home and on church property. A social worker reported him. (The
Maryland Sun, 4/8/89)
- REV. THOMAS HUNT was convicted by a jury of sexually abusing a 5 year
old girl and her 7 year old brother during visits in the rectory. He was
children's choir director at the United Methodist Church in East Benton.
The girl had nightmares before visits and asked her mother to make the
minister " stop rubbing" Vaseline on her " privates."
The boy added, " Believe her, mommy, he did it to me too."
(Scranton Times, 4/4-7/89)
- ROBERT MESSERSMITH, 46, a catechism instructor at Our Lady of Victory
Catholic Church in north Minneapolis who works with many youth groups, was
charged with coercing 10 boys to perform sex acts. Boys ages 12-15 say he
showed them pornography and urged them to masturbate during camping trips.
In 1976, when director of the Salem, NH Boys Club, he was convicted of
sexually assaulting 2 12-year-old boys and was given 2 years' probation.
He is married with 3 children. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 3/28/89)
- PAUL ROSS INGRAM, 43, who formerly ran the Thurston Co. crime prevention
program, is charged with rape and statutory rape. Ingram was the GOP county
chair from 1986-1988, and is a member of the Four Square Gospel Church. Two
other men linked to law enforcement and community service were also charged.
(Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 4/4/89)
- JAMES CLIFTON NALLEY, a volunteer at Bible Baptist Church in Fernandina
Beach, Fla., was charged with fondling 2 church girls, ages 9 and 11.
Church members phoned police after a child reported the abuse. (Florida
Times-Union, 4/4/89)
- A federal sting operation to find child pornographers/molesters yielded
6 arrests in Philadelphia, including Presbyterian minister JOHN MCVAY, 53.
He allegedly solicited sex with 2 girls ages 9 and 12. He was charged with
criminal solicitation to commit involuntary deviant sexual intercourse. He
also sent a 15 year old girl obscene material and a letter soliciting sex.
(Intelligencer-Record, 3/10/89)
- Evangelist TONY LEYVA received a 20 year prison sentence on March 28
for running a child prostitution ring. Federal Dist. Judge James Turk
called him and his 2 partners " bad to the core." Leyva was
previously sentenced to 2.5 years for sexually abusing 2 boys in Virginia.
His religious accomplices RIAS EDWARD MORRIS, 27, got 15 years, and FREDDIE
H. HERRING, 50, got 12 years. All were fined $5,000. Agents located at
least 30 boys, some as young as 8, molested by Leyva in the past 20 years;
some put the total at 800 victims. (New York Times, 3/29/89)
- Indianapolis music minister REV. CLAYTON DUANE HEIL, 42, employed by
Lighthouse Tabernacle, is being sued by a 14 year old choir girl for rape
over a 3 month period in 1985. The suit also names REVS. WILLIAM W. and
DAVID TOTMAN. Said a church official, " they're not just fighting
us, they're fighting God." (Carmel News- Tribune, 4/5/89)
- Baptist minister HENRY BAZIL WATERS, 49, was convicted of fondling 3
young boys and untold others at the Grace Baptist Temple Church in
Statesboro, Ga., and in his home and car. Waters' testimony that he
" saved" youth through " sex instruction " matched
testimony of the victims. Waters admitted fondling boys in Latin America,
saying " I have no idea " how many children he had abused.
Waters was given permission to attend church while free on bond. (Atlanta
Journal, 2/18/89)
- REV. THOMAS V. COSSAIRT, 72, retired former pastor of First Baptist
Church, Carter Lake, received a suspended 1 year jail sentence and 2 years'
probation after pleading guilty to indecent contact with a child. A charge
involving a 2nd child was dropped. He lives in Commerce, Okla. (Omaha
World Herald)
- JOSEPH NEWMAN, of Lucedale, Miss., says he married his secretary and
her 8 year old daughter " under orders from God." After
officials removed the child and her brother from his home, Newman vowed
that " God is angry" because the Koran gives him the right to
" up to four wives," including child brides. (Mobile Press
Register, 3/11/89; Press Register Reporter)
- Former Salvation Army Capt. JACK HOLCOMB, 50, pleaded guilty to having
intercourse with a girl under the age of 14 while heading the chapter.
During his tenure, he received a community service award for trying to
house and feed refugees in the Plattsburgh, NY area. (Syracuse Herald-
Journal, 3/1/89)
- " Popular, dedicated" youth pastor DOUGLAS BOUDINOT, 39,
married with children, has been charged with 2 counts of rape while leading
a Christian youth group in California. Santa Cruz authorities charged him
with rape when a young woman reported that Boudinot had sexually assaulted
her in 1983, when she was 17 and a member of Young Life. Professing medical
expertise, he reportedly committed many of the assaults under the guise of
conducting medical examinations. Washington police have also located
victims reportedly abused while Boudinot worked as youth pastor at Kent
Covenant Church, taking youth groups on overnight outings and trips to
Germany and Mexico. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2/23/89)
- Radio preacher REV. FRED KENTON BESHORE, 63, of Newport Beach, Calif.,
was charged with influencing the testimony of a witness, a felony. He is
accused of phoning the father of a girl reportedly molested by neurosurgeon
Dr. Francis Williams, offering him $1,500 a month for 2 years if he would
stop his daughter's testimony. Police taped offers. Charges against the
neurosurgeon for molesting preteen and adult patients were dropped, but
could be reopened. Beshore runs Bible Institute of the Air, buying bibles
to smuggle into communist countries. (Orange Co. Register, 2/28/89; 3/1/89)
- PAUL SLATER, 64, a traveling evangelist, was charged with 4 counts of
sexual battery after 8 and 12 year old sisters reported being molested and
raped by him. Slater, a " trusted neighbor," befriended their
family. An investigator said, " We encourage people to listen to what
their children have to say. Many of these cases go on for months and years.
" (Ocala Star-Banner, 2/18/89)
- A 25 year old San Jose woman reports being molested and raped between
the ages of 11-13 by a priest, who was also her mother's lover. She saw
him rape her younger sister. Their mother is now demanding that the
Diocese of San Jose take action against the priest, still pastor of a Santa
Clara church: " We want him to admit this happened...We want him
removed from situations where children are at risk." After 10 months
of negotiating, no action to remove the priest or protect children has been
taken. The criminal statute of limitations has run out. (San Jose Mercury
News, 3/10/89)
- FATHER HARRY MCINTEE is charged with sexually assaulting children from
the 1950s to the 1980s at a church-run native residential school at St.
Joseph's Mission, British Columbia. (Ottawa Citizen, 2/27/89)
- Former priest JOHN BAUER, 52, is a fugitive being hunted for making
child pornography in Mexico. Three other suspects are involved, including
DAVID NEGRETTE, 26, an assistant scoutmaster. Police say the four men
regularly made trips from the Los Angeles area 200 miles south to Ensenada.
Poor boys aged 8 to 14 were paid small amounts to perform sexual acts with
each other and the men in shacks and hotels. Videotapes were distributed
around the world. Bauer worked as a priest for 7 years in social work
projects, including group homes for neglected children in Helena, Mont. He
left the church in 1970 and directed the social work program at Montana
State University. He had owned 3 pornographic west coast bookstores.
(Billings Gazette, 4/14/89)
- UPDATE: Bauer, a former priest who often wore his clerical collar even
after leaving the church in 1970, was arrested in Spokane by FBI
authorities, facing charges of producing child pornography and conspiring
to molest children in California. Bauer, self-described " porno
priest," was on the run for 15 months, after charges surfaced that
he exploited youths and runaways from Mexico. He worked as a director of
the social work program in Montana State University-Bozeman during the
1970s, then opened 4 pornography shops. (Spokesman-Review, 12/13/89)
- Despite multimillion dollar lawsuits in 2 states against Church of
Christ public humiliation (" disciplining" ) of women for "
sexual misconduct," Nashville elders vow to continue their crusade.
What about all the wayward ministers? (Nashville Banner, 2/14/89)
- REV. JOHNATHAN HAMLIN, 24, convicted of shooting his live-in girlfriend
last July, got 15 years in prison. Hours after the shooting he preached at
1 of the 3 Mississippi Baptist churches he served. (Palm Beach Post, 1/7/89)
- Florida authorities say twin girls, 7 months old, were deliberately
suffocated. They were left alive in the care of REV. JOHN W. HEFLIN JR.,
45, of Belleview, their babysitter.
- New reports of child abuse prompted the removal of two minors from the
notorious Bethel Children's Home in Lucedale, Ms. A 15 year old from
Alabama and 12 year old from New York were removed following reports of
abuse by a runaway. Last June 72 children were removed from the welfare
department; many testified to excessive beatings and boot-camp type
regimens. In contempt of court, REV. HERMAN FOUNTAIN and colleagues have
$300,000 in unpaid penalties, and face a jury trial for assaulting police
officers. The state requires no licensing for religious homes. However,
the legislature passed a bill, in effect July 1, requiring 24-hour
childcare homes to submit monthly lists of names and places of origin for
each child and staff member, and educational information. (Mobile
Register, 4/11/89)
- REV. SHIRLEY FREEMAN, a 74 year old vicar, murdered his wife of 46
years when he was unable to find his favorite program on the radio. He
bludgeoned her for over 2 hours. He was sentenced to spend the rest of
his life in a monastery in southern England because he was too old for
prison. (LA Times, 2/20/89)
- A woman accompanying a friend to a Brooklyn, NY abortion clinic was
tossed against a wall 3 times by an off-duty police officer who shouted,
" In the name of Jesus Christ, do you know what's going on in
there? " When she lodged a complaint against him at a police
station, she was strip-searched and jailed. The officer was convicted of
reckless assault. A state jury found the officer liable for $400,000 and
the city liable for $600,000. (NYT, 12/14/88)
- MARK RIPPBERGER and SUSAN MIDDLETON-RIPPBERGER were sentenced to 5
years' probation and fined $5,000 on Nov. 2 after being found guilty of
criminal negligence in the death of their 8 month old daughter in 1984
from untreated meningitis.
" She was not beaten to death or starved, but she's dead just as if
she were beaten and starved," said the prosecution. The judge
ordered the couple to take a family health or first aid course, read Good
Housekeeping's " Family Health and Medical Guide," and authorize
emergency medical care for their other school-age children. The Christian
Science Monitor accused California of " unhidden antagonism toward
Christian Science" for prosecuting the case. With 1,945 churches,
it is the largest US religious organization shunning medical care.
(Reuters/Newark Star-Ledger, 11/5/89; Washington Post, 11/11/89)
- The Circuit Court in Alpena, MI ruled in favor of Dr. Michael Taylor,
who was sued by Jehovah's Witness Cindy Werth for transfusing blood to
her in a post-childbirth crisis. Werth said it violated her religion;
the court said it saved her life. (USA Today, 11/7/89)
- A woman from Waukegan, IL who was injured in a traffic accident in
Wisconsin bled to death after refusing a blood transfusion because of
her religious beliefs. Gloria H. Carter, 54, a Jehovah's Witness, died
on Dec. 14 of massive internal injuries. An elder from her church
complained: " Even though they made a big deal over the blood issue
in Kenosha, that was not the cause of her death." ([Waukegan]
News-Sun, 12/15/89)
- Authorities found a seriously-ill 6 year old girl whose father went
to jail along with his pastor rather than tell her whereabouts. The sect
rejects medical treatment. The girl was located in a secluded log home
after an anonymous tip. Swollen and anemic, Melinda Sue James appeared
to have kidney failure. She disappeared May 5 after the state ordered her
to be medically examined. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 8/1/89)
- A mother who starved to death her daughter, 4, in order to exorcise
her of evil spirits, received a 7 year prison term for 3rd degree murder.
The Florida mother, DARLENE JACKSON, 33, agreed to testify against MARY
NICHOLSON, an evangelist charged with influencing Jackson to withhold food
from daughter Kimberly McZinc. Jackson told the judge she would devote
herself to " exposing people like Mary Nicholson."
Nicholson's trial is in February. The girl died on Feb. 8, 1988. The
home had been investigated for neglect prior to her death, but a state
agency had taken no action. Jackson, who has a master's degree, was also
ordered to pay $23,000 in court costs and serve 8 years' probation.
(AP/Miami Herald, 7/27/89; Pensacola News Journal, 11/30/89)
- LARRY AND LEONA COTTAM, found guilty in Wilkesbarre, PA in September
of starving their 14 year old son Eric to death, are free on bail pending
an appeal. Eric's 69-pound body was found Jan. 4, 1989 after the family had
fasted for 6 weeks. Larry, a former Seventh-Day Adventist minister, had
$3,700 but would not buy food with it, saying it belonged to the Lord.
" We were wondering, 'Is our faith being tested?' like when God asked
Abraham to go up and sacrifice his son on the altar," Cottam said.
" It was a kind of very close family togetherness," Cottam said.
In the understatement of the decade, he added, " In some way, we lost
perspective on reality." Their daughter Laura, now 13, who weighed
77 pounds when she was found after her brother's death, is in foster care.
The Cottams are basing their appeal on grounds that the boy starved himself
to death to express his freedom of religion. (Scranton Times, 8/29/89;
Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/2-9/89; AP, 12/26/89)
- VIRGINIA JENKINS, 37, of Anderson, SC, was ruled incompetent to stand
trial in charges that she sexually assaulted her son, 14, during an
exorcism. She also rubbed glass and salt into his wounds. (USA Today,
1/4/90)
- The principal of Cornerstone Christian Academy (near Indianapolis) and
her husband were charged with battery for paddling 2 pupils, ages 10 and
12, for bad grades. (Indianapolis Star, 12/15/89)
- DAVID L. DOUGLASS, principal of Mountain View Christian School in
Derry Township, PA, was found guilty of paddling a 7 year old child until
he was bruised. The boy was paddled for talking in class.
" What we are talking about," said the prosecutor, " is a
man who is blinded by his religion. The man does not see that the way to
treat a hyperactive child is not to beat him into submission."
(Express, 9/24/89)
- A Fayetteville, NC minister, his wife and another woman were charged
with felony child abuse for beating 4 children last year. They are part
of Holy Tabernacle storefront church, where Rev. John Charles McCollum,
39, is " chief apostle." He also preaches over radio stations
in North and South Carolina and in tent revivals. Four children, who
range in age from 3 to 15 years, suffered permanent scars on their bodies
from serious physical injury. One is scarred permanently on the face.
They were removed from the McCollum home in December, where Irish Lamont
Williams, 32, mother of two of the children, also lives. Two other adults
are being sought for abusing the children. (Fayetteville Times, 1/11/89)
- New Hampshire authorities have filed felony assault charges against a
fundamentalist couple for beating their children with a stick and paddle.
The kids were removed from their home. STEPHEN and JOANNE DECOSTA have
found support in their church, and in character witnesses such as a former
governor and a police officer whose children attend a church-run school
with the DeCosta children.
" The Bible definitely and expressly teaches the use of the rod in
the discipline of children and we believe it, and we do it, and I teach
it," said DeCosta's pastor, Richard Anderson of the Calvary
Independent Baptist Church, Meredith. (AP/Clinton Herald [IA], 10/31/89)
- REV. ROBERT G. HALVERSTADT, 61, of Victory Center Church, Pueblo, CO,
was sentenced to a year in jail, after admitting he used games, coercion
and drugs to sexually molest 3 girls in his congregation. Charges involving
4 other victims were dropped when he pleaded guilty to reduced counts. He
was given credit for 135 days already spent in jail, plus 4 years'
probation. Halverstadt assaulted a girl, 9, who volunteered to help him
clean his church. Another girl said he gave her something to drink that made
her fall asleep. She woke up naked with pain in her groin area. (Chieftain,
12/15/89)
- The Kansas Supreme Court upheld the convictions of REV. DARWIN G.
DAMEWOOD, 54, sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping a teenager in
1987 and sexually assaulting him. The Court affirmed all 8 counts against
Damewood, formerly with the Rossville Methodist Church, ruling it
permissible for another teenager to testify at the trial that Damewood
had molested him too. (Topeka Capital-Journal, 12/9/89)
- STANLEY DENNIS CUMMINGS, 34, a bible school teacher, was sentenced to
more than 2,000 years in prison after being convicted of 60 counts of child
molesting and sexual exploitation of a minor. Cummings befriended 8 boys
he met through church, friends and employment, molesting, sodomizing and
photographing them in sexual acts. He beat one victim, tape-recording it
for sexual gratification.
" Ten seconds of indiscretion is ruining my entire life," he
complained, referring to oral sex with a boy, 10. He told the judge: "
But I have an illness. You cannot make me a criminal." (Arizona Daily
Star, 9/19/89)
- REV. JOHN LIADIS, 56, of Largo, FL, was sentenced to 10 years'
probation after a no-contest plea to 1 count of committing a lewd and
lascivious act on a child under 16. He was also fined $500, told to stay
away from children, and ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. He
grabbed a girl, 15, the daughter of friends, at a church retreat. Liadis
was relieved of his duties at the church camp. (NT Times, FL, 11/4/89)
- MARY LOU GALLUP, 61, was sentenced to 2 years in prison for child
molestation, and must pay for counseling for her victim, a 4 and a half
year old girl. Her husband, Edward Sr. and son, were convicted of
molesting kids at the family's two Christian preschools in Portland.
(Register-Guard [Eugene, OR], 12/5/89)
- REV. WALTER N. STONE, pastor of Rollstone Congregational Church in
Fitchburg, MA, was sentenced to 7-15 years in prison after being convicted
by a jury of 8 counts of molesting 2 boys. Two victims, now 18 and 21,
testified Stone befriended them during church counseling and activities.
Stone, 56, is married with 4 children, an Air Force veteran, with a
doctorate in theology from Boston University. Several friends and
colleagues wrote letters of commendation for him. (Worcester Telegram,
11/10/89)
- REV. ROBERT DUANE SCHULTZ, 52, of Washington, Iowa, was sentenced to
30 years in prison after confessing to acts described as " horribly
perverse" on boys under age 12, involving 1 count of sexual abuse and
3 others of lascivious acts. Officials are giving him polygraph tests and
blood tests in an effort to identify other victims. The married minister
was a foster parent honored in 1989 by Gov. Terry Branstad for volunteer
service. Victims included foster children; five were removed from his home
upon his arrest. The prosecution said a law preventing prosecution for sex
assaults occurring more than 4 years ago should be changed, and would have
resulted in more charges against Schultz. Rev. John Bennett told Schultz'
congregation at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), " Bob
has fallen...into a deep pit of despair. But Bob has not fallen from the
grace of God." Church policy requires that he be defrocked for
committing a felony. (Des Moines Register, 10/30- 11/3/89; AP/Clinton
Herald, 10/30/89)
- REV. DAVID SWOPE, minister at Sparks United Methodist Church, NV, was
sentenced to 1 year in county jail, suspended to 3 years' probation, and
psychological counseling. Swope pleaded no contest to a plea bargain of
open & gross lewdness. He molested a girl, age 10, after choir practice,
telling her she was one of his favorites and it meant nothing sexual. He
was accused of taking indecent liberties with another girl 8 years ago.
(Reno Gazette Journal, 10/28/89)
- JOHNNIE VERNON WOODS JR., 36, a lay minister at a North Little Rock
church, got 3 consecutive sentences for abducting and raping a girl, 9.
A jury found him guilty of 2 counts of rape and 1 count of kidnapping.
(Tulsa World, 10/29/89)
- BRUCE KRAHN, 37, pleaded guilty to molesting a student, 15, at Calvary
Academy where he taught math. He got 1 year probation, a $500 fine, and a
possible 60-day jail sentence. He asked her to stay after school, turned
off the lights, shut the door, asked her questions about sex education she
got in the public schools, hugged, fondled her and asked her to touch him.
She reported it to her parents. He was fired and the state will revoke his
teaching license. (Journal-Register [Springfield, IL], 10/25/89)
- GEORGE DEGOLYER, 42, pastor of Verona Christian Fellowship, WI, was
sentenced to 30 days in jail, 5 years' probation after pleading no contest
to 1st degree sexual assault of an 8 year old girl visiting his home. He
carried the girl upstairs, pulled down her pants and molested her. He was
ordered to have no unsupervised conduct with minors except his children.
The DA agreed to ask the court to amend the charge to 4th degree if he does
not violate probation. (Wisconsin State Journal, 11/1/89)
- JAMES KENNEDY, a Salvation Army pastor from LaCrosse, WI, was sentenced
to 6 years in prison plus 10 years' probation for 1st degree sexual assault
of a girl, 10. He was ordered to pay for counseling. She was sexually
abused at his home 4 times in 1985. Supporters have rallied to his cause.
The day after his sentencing, he was released on $15,000 bond posted by a
relative, pending appeal. (AP/Wisconsin State Journal, 12/22/89)
- REV. L.G. GILSTRAP, 54, an Assemblies of God minister,
was convicted by a jury on 3 counts of child molestation and sentenced to
33 years in prison for a string of fondling incidents in 1988 involving
brothers aged 10 and 13. The older boy said Gilstrap once tried to have
sex with him in the shower. Eight men testified during the trial that they
too were molested by the minister when they were boys. Three said they were
also abused by the Sunday school teacher, who was not tried. Gilstrap
denied the charges but corroborated their accusations against the teacher.
The prosecutor called Gilstrap the " Pied Piper of pedophilia."
Gilstrap, defrocked, started a new church, New Hope Ministries. Married,
he was a former clerk for the Georgia House of Representatives. (Atlanta
Constitution, 9/22/89)
- REV. THOMAS MCLAUGHLIN, 58, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for
sexually molesting a boy, 12, after pleading guilty in exchange for
dismissal of 6 other charges. He was pastor of Church of the Resurrection
in New Albany and St. Mary Church in Marion, Ohio. The mother of the
victim asked the judge for leniency.
" I was flabbergasted," noted Logan Co. prosecutor Gerald Heaton.
" I can't recall, in my seven years of prosecuting cases, having the
parent of a victim, especially a sexual abuse victim, speak in support of
the perpetrator." The priest blamed his actions on " his
disease" rather than himself. (New Herald, 1989)
- REV. RICHARD ZULA, 48, former pastor of Sts. Mary and Ann Church in
Marianna and Washington counties, PA, received 1 to 5 years in prison for
sexually molesting an altar boy. He also got 5 years' probation. He was
arrested in 1984 in Somerset County for molesting a boy, 15, pleading
guilty in May 1989 to 2 counts of corrupting minors. He still faces
sentencing in Washington County after pleading guilty to a similar charge.
(Scrantonian Tribune, 12/9/89)
- BROTHER SALVATORE BILLANTE, 50, was sentenced to 8 years in prison for
molesting a boy, 13, as youth director at a Catholic camp. He also worked
at Corpus Christi School in San Francisco. (Bay City News Service, 1989)
- REV. ROBERT A. KULZER, 65, was convicted of molesting 2 boys at Faith
Temple Church, in Brighton. He was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in prison
but it was stayed pending appeal, meaning if he can make $10,000 cash bail
he will not serve time yet. The married grandfather was convicted of 3
counts of sodomy and 1 count each of promoting prostitution, sexual abuse
and endangering the welfare of a child involving boys aged 12 to 16. Abuse
included oral sex with a 16 year old boy, putting a condom on a 12 year old
boy during a discussion about " the facts of life," and arranging
for a boy to have sex with a 62 year old woman in the parsonage. Defense
involved Kulzer's " good deeds," including being a missionary in
Africa. (Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, 12/13/89)
- REV. THOMAS WELSCH, 39, and his wife Jean, 40, were sentenced to 30
years in prison with all but 6 years suspended, after pleading guilty to
5 counts each of child sexual abuse. Originally they were charged with 571
counts involving 3 victims. Welsch and his wife abused twin sisters, 13,
and a 17 year old girl. He was pastor at Immanuel United Church of Christ
in Cambridge, MD for 10 years. The state's attorney praised all 3 victims
for showing " a lot of courage " in testifying against their
popular pastor. (Washington Post, 12/10/89; The Sun)
- REV. JAMES A. FORSYTHE of Holy Cross Church, Overland Park, KS, pleaded
guilty to charges of having sexual relations with a teenage boy about 20
times. Forsythe, 35, molested the boy in the rectory of the church, where
he was pastor for 2 years. He was relieved of his duties and was receiving
counseling pending the sentencing. A therapist reported suspicions to the
Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. A statement by
Archbishop Ignatius J. Strecker of Kansas City, KS seemed to place child
molestation on par with extramarital sex: " God's wondrous gift of
human sexuality is made beautiful in the holy bonds of marriage. On the
other hand, it loses its beauty and its wonder when it is offended in or
outside of marriage. It is all the more so when the offender is someone as
trusted as a Catholic priest." (Kansas City Star, 12/8,9/89)
- BROTHER MARCEL CRETE, 55, at the Notre Dame Institute in Alfred, ME,
pleaded guilty to 5 counts of gross sexual misconduct for having sex with
a boy, 12, in 1983. Two other charges were outside the statute of
limitation. Crete operated a public skating rink in an old barn. The
victim picked apples in the Institute's orchard, worked in the kitchen and
spent some nights in a room close to Crete's. Crete underwent counseling
for 6 months in Maryland.
" We feel that he's doing everything that he can, he can't do any more
than he's doing," said Brother Patrick Menard, head of the Institute.
(Journal Tribune [Biddeford, ME], 9/19/89)
- REV. WILLIAM MURRAY HENDRICKS JR., 50, pastor of Clay Hill Baptist
Church, pleaded guilty to 2 counts of lewd & lascivious assault on a
minor. The victim: a girl, 7, molested at the church, parish house in
1988 where he pastored for 15 years. As a plea bargain he agreed not to
perform pastoral duties until his probation ended. (Florida Times-Union,
9/19/89)
- It took a jury only 28 minutes to find ANTONIO S. MARTINEZ, 59, a
Pentecostal evangelist from Mathis, FL, guilty of aggravated sexual assault
of a girl, 12. He claimed they had a common-law marriage. He first
assaulted her when she was 11 and in 5th grade. Her grandmother forced her
into the arrangement. A doctor turned Martinez in after Martinez asked him
why she didn't become pregnant. (Corpus-Christi Caller Times, 9/27,28/89)
- REV. JIM " PAPA" CATER, 50 founder and head of Living World
Church in Dickson Co., TN was indicted on 6 new counts of child sexual
abuse, for a total of 56 charges. The crimes reportedly occurred at the
church compound during April, May and June 1989. The state raided the
church in June, taking 11 children into protective custody, ordering him to
close his illegally operating residential child-care facility. Cater
became a minister after converting while serving time in Florida for
strong-armed robbery and forgery. His ministry specialized in helping
recovering alcoholics & addicts. Following the arrests, he was injured
in the county jail after inmates attacked him, calling him " baby
raper." (Huntsville Times, 11/9/89)
- JAMES ALLEN WELLER, 31, a day care teacher and youth counselor at
Redeemer Lutheran Church, Redwood City, CA, was booked on 20 counts of
child molestation, oral copulation, sexual battery and child exploitation.
A counselor in another state contacted police after a boy reported being
abused by Weller. Boys ages 13 to 17 told police he paid or tricked them
into posing for pornographic photographs over the last 3 years. Weller was
also a Boy Scout leader and coached a youth basketball team at the church.
Church officials hired him even though they knew he was a convicted felon
who had served 6 years in prison for bank fraud, and was on parole. (San
Jose Mercury News, 12/2/89)
- FATHER LUCIEN MEUNIER, 74, retired from a rural parish in British
Columbia, was extradited from West Palm Beach to stand trial on charges of
molesting 6 boys in the 1950s and 1960s. At least 7 boys and 1 girl have
accused him of molestation when he worked as a parish priest in BC and
Saskatchewan, sometimes at the church altar, in the rectory or church car.
One victim said when Meunier fondled him, he " talked of how God had
given these beautiful things...to enjoy."
" Father Meunier told me that it was God's will that I should do this
for him, and that it was just like a confessional where no one is supposed
to tell anyone," the man wrote in a sworn statement. After performing
oral sex on the boy, " he would then say short little prayers of
praise." Another man signed a statement that Meunier molested him at
a table just before the family gathered for dinner.
" After saying grace and during the course of the dinner...Meunier had
me masturbate him." Meunier pleaded no contest to 2 counts of child
molestation at a South Phoenix Catholic Church in 1975 and was ordered in
1976 to serve 1 to 3 years in prison. (Palm Beach Post, 12/2/89; 1/13/90)
- Charges of sex crimes against minors were filed in Spokane Co. against
4 members of the hedonistic sect, C.E. Hobbs Foundation of Religious
Training and Education. Two members were previously charged with similar
offenses in Pend Oreille Co. Young women reported being sexually exploited
as teenagers by adult church members during " sharing sessions "
condoned by founder Clifford E. Hobbs. Officials are probing a transfer of
the church's $10 million complex to a family trust, to protect Hobbs from
civil lawsuits or IRS action. Hobbs, a steelworker-turned-evangelist who
transferred his Illinois church to Washington in 1976, hasn't been charged
with any crimes. (Skagit Valley Herald, 11/25/89)
- FATHER WILLIAM GROVES, pastor of St. Ignatius Church in Ignacio,
Colorado, pleaded " not guilty" on Dec. 1 to 3 felony charges
related to child molestation and 2 misdemeanor charges. A trial date was
set for April. Groves, 37, represented by a public defender, is " on
retreat." He previously served in Missouri, Nebraska, and Kansas.
Hildy Ochtrup, pastoral assistant, declared: " He's a blessing "
and parishioners are " grateful to have Father Hall [sic] here."
(Chronicle of Catholic Life, 12/89)
- WALTER HEROLDO SOLIS, 54, charged with molesting 3 girls at Glendale
Spanish 7th-day Adventist Church in Glendale, was killed Nov. 29 after
stepping into a traffic lane in what police believe was a suicide. (LA
Times, 12/8/89)
- ROY YOUNG, 29, charged in Washington state in 3 molestation cases, is
now suspected of molesting dozens of boys in Austin, TX, whom he befriended
as a volunteer for youth programs at 2 churches. He lived in Austin for 8
years until moving to Washington 18 months ago, where he was busted for
molesting boys in bible study groups he formed. Police seized a collection
of photographs, some pornographic, involving as many as 65 Texas boys (ages
8 to 13). At least 4 Texas youths say they were molested. Police regard
the photographed boys as suspected victims. Young, who is not married, is
accused of performing sex acts in front of Austin children, showing them
adult movies, giving them massages, photographing some in the nude and
providing some with alcohol. For years he took young boys to movies,
dinner, roller-skating, camping and on motorcycle rides, buying kids
watches, boots, bracelets & gifts. He also invited youths to spend the
night with him.
" He gained the confidence of the parents by pretending [1] to be a
devout Christian who wanted to enhance the spiritual life of the kids,
" said a detective. (Austin-American Statesman, 12/8/89)
[1] " Pretending? " The man is a Christian. There's
no " pretending " about it.
- REV. BRUCE RITTER, 62, founder of a $85-million-a-year fundraising
operation called Covenant House, was accused by a benefactor of having
sexual relations with him, and improperly spending $25,000 of program money
on him. The Manhattan DA is investigating charges. After a search by
Covenant House, a Texas college professor came forward saying the accuser
is his son -- a " pathological liar " with a personality disorder.
Covenant House operates in about 15 US and Canadian cities and 4 Central
American countries, sending blue-and-white vans into the streets looking
for young runaways. Ritter has been honored recently by Ronald Reagan and
Pres. Bush, as well as being mentioned in a 1984 State of the Union address.
Ritter admits he took several trips with his accuser, Kevin Lee Kite,
spending nights alone with him. He called that an " almost
unforgivable " lapse in judgment. He says he has shared his rooms
with hundreds of runaway youths over the last 20 years. Covenant House has
been criticized for ineffectiveness, and for its " mentor "
program whereby staff spend free time with kids, inviting troubled youth
home with them.
" The mentors are encouraged to take the kids home and treat them as
their own children," said spokesperson John Kells. Ritter says an
audit proves Covenant House spent " only" $9,800 to house,
employ and help educate Kite, lower than the average of $15,000 (!) usually
spent on a case. About 10% of its funds are public. (LA Times, 12/16/89;
New York Times, 12/15, 21/89; AP, 12/15/89)
- REV. RENE POIRER, 46, a popular priest at Sacred Heart Church in
Chapleau, Ontario, surrendered after a warrant was issued on 2 charges of
sexual assault. He was known for " helping the poor " in the
Philippines, where he spent 12 years, and Haiti. (Spectator, 11/14,15/89)
A priest from Toronto was charged with sexual abuse of a
girl under 14 for an incident occurring in British Columbia.
The judge banned publication of the priest's name.
(Spectator, 11/13/89)
- Following the arrest of JAMES BOWEN, 51, a religious school teacher,
on 84 child pornography counts, a legislator is seeking a review of
private school rules. Florida law did not prevent Bowen from opening his
own school despite a 1966 conviction for child molestation. Minimum
qualifications for teachers & course standards are not required. Ten
percent of school children attend private schools in Florida, most
religious. (Miami Herald, 9/28/89)
- REV. ANGEL CANDALARIA, 70, was charged with sexual contact and
endangering the welfare of a girl, 10, at his church in Vineland, NJ.
(Daily Journal, 11/15/89)
- MICHAEL GILFORD, 36, was charged with aggravated criminal sexual
assault & criminal sexual abuse for molesting girls at a YWCA camp
in Round Lake, IL where he was visiting. (News-Sun [Waukegan, IL], 10/21/89)
- $450,000 jury award against UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF ILLINOIS upheld
by Judge Stuart Shiffman involving REV. WILLIAM FYFFE, who molested 3
brothers in Macon, 1982. The church was held responsible because it knew
Fyffe had molested boys at Taylor Ridge parish, 1975, but still ordained
him, expunged records of counseling for molestation, and transferred him
into a community unaware of the episodes. Fyffe served nearly 3 years of
prison after pleading guilty to the Macon molestings. (Quad-City Times,
9/7/89; 10/18/89)
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix was sued by a couple whose 2 sons
were victims of REV. GEORGE BREDEMANN, 47, serving 1 year in jail. Also
named are other priests at St. Catherine of Sienna Church. The public was
shocked by the priest's light sentence in July, since he had admitted to
molesting boys sent to him for counseling for previous sexual abuse, plus
15 others in past. Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien intervened on priest's behalf,
then " apologized." (Arizona Republic, 8/10/89)
- Lawsuits were filed against REV. ALBERT C. MAGNUSON, pastor, Redeemer
Covenant Church, Brooklyn Park, MN, for molesting 3 brothers, their sister,
seminary student nearly 20 years ago when they went to him for counseling.
Church, church's Northwest Conference likewise sued for negligence. (Star
Trib., 6/89)
- Parents of a boy molested by Newfoundland priest JAMES HICKEY are suing
Archbishop Alphonsus Penney for negligence, the 1st lawsuit following 18
charges or convictions against Newfoundland priests. Other victims are
suing the government. Hickey was sentenced Sept. 1988 to 5 years in prison
for assaulting 20 boys since 1970. Parents say Penney knew of abuse but
did nothing. (Hamilton Spectator, 9/2/89)
- A boy's father is suing Methodist Home of New Orleans, charging that
his son, 12, was molested by a counselor during a field trip. REV. DALE
HAGGARD pleaded guilty in Jan. 1989, and was sentenced to 4 years'
probation, 500 hours community service, and therapy. Haggard, Louisiana
Methodist Conference was also named. The suit alleges that [the Methodist
Home] knew Haggard " had a propensity to engage in sexual acts with
young boys." (Times-Picayune, 7/19/89)
- A lawsuit against REV. THOMAS ADAMSON, Archdiocese of St. Paul,
Minneapolis & Winona Diocese, was settled out of court for an undisclosed
amount. This is the most recent of four suits involving Adamson to be
settled; 20 other victims are suspected. The case involved a boy, 13,
molested on recreational outings. The suit charged the church with
continuing to assign Adamson to parishes after learning of his sexual
abuses. (St. Paul Pioneer Press-Dispatch, 9/20/89)
- The father of a young child was raped by HEATH TURNER, 16, a childcare
worker at the First United Methodist Church, Mount Dora, is suing the
church for negligence. Turner was convicted of assaulting the child at a
church with a toy boat, his finger, and ice. [2] The church's youth
minister, RALPH SMITH, who testified on Turner's behalf, has since been
charged with the indecent assault of a child. The suit says that the
church failed to check backgrounds, supervise childcare, and Sunday school
classes. (Daily Commercial, 10/10/89)
[2]
- A man, age 25, is suing Portland Archdiocese, REV. JOHN GOODRICH for
$2.5 million in damages because of priest abuse during 14 years (1974-1988)
on church premises. Diocese officials knew of Goodrich's conduct as early
as 1973, according to the suit. (Oregonian, 9/14/89)
- Six girls who were sexually abused by REV. FRANCIS G. HAIGHT, head of
ex-Baptist Christian Academy, Monroe, WI, were awarded a total of $57,440
in court settlements. Haight is serving a 20 year term for molesting
children; He is eligible for parole in 4 years. (8/14/89)
- An undisclosed out-of-court settlement was made by the Mormon Church
to Cynthia Brown of Mesa, Az., who accused the church of failing to report
to law enforcement authorities that a man had molested her daughter, age
2. A July 1988 ruling by the Arizona Court of Appeals had compelled two
Mormon bishops and another church official to testify about conversations
they had with RICHARD KENNETH RAY about molesting children. Ray, 47, was
sentenced in Sept. 1984 to 61 years in prison for molesting 5 girls,
including Brown's daughter. (Arizona Republic, 1/11/90)
- In a precedent-setting decision, the Anglican church made a secret
out-of-court settlement of damages to an altar boy molested by a parish
priest 4 years ago. REV. CHARLES GRIGGS, 61, former rector of St. Bede's,
near Winnipeg, pleaded guilty in 1986 to charges of molesting a 13 year
old. He received a 2 year suspended sentence and was ordered to receive
counseling. Anglican officials offered wide and glowing support for Griggs
after his confession. An uproar resulted when Archbishop Walter Jones allowed
Griggs to continue as rector following his conviction, saying Griggs'
confession of sin was sufficient repentance. Jones removed him from his
post a month later. Griggs left the priesthood and lives in rural Manitoba.
Molestings occurred after church services and at the priest's home. The
family says former diocese bishop Barry Valentine had received complaints
about Griggs prior to assaults on their son, but did nothing. Bishop
Valentine, now in Baltimore, MD, says he received " only one "
complaint, and immediately removed him as director of a diocesan summer
camp. The Anglican Journal editorialized: " Similar incidents, just
as serious, have received little or no publicity because ecclesiastical
authorities have stepped in, quietly removed the priest from the parish,
appeared with him in court and arranged for psychiatric help. But although
such action protects the church's image, it gives little public warning
to priests of the consequences they face for a breach of trust, and nothing
to alert society that it has an alarming problem in its midst."
(Anglican Journal, May 1989)
- The Catholic Diocese of Altoona and Johnstown, PA says turning over
documents from its " secret archive" about a molesting priest
would violate state/church separation. A man, 20, claiming REV. FRANCIS
E. LUDDY, 47, molested him when he was ages 9 to 16, asked a Somerset Co.
court to order release of the records. Luddy is on leave of absence at a
Catholic treatment home in New Mexico. (Scranton Times, 12/19/89)
- Parents of 2 Norfolk boys sexually assaulted by their Cub Scout leader
filed a $35 million lawsuit against Boy Scouts of America & the
sponsoring Mormon Church. Both groups were called negligent for failing
to check the background of Scout leader ERIC PATRICK " RICKY "
AVANT, 29, who is serving 26 years in prison after admitting he molested
the boys. Avant was convicted of similar offenses in 1979. (Washington
Post, 11/1/89)
- GARY HAMBRIGHT, a Southern Baptist minister accused of molesting dozens
of children at the Presidio daycare in San Francisco, died of AIDS Nov. 8.
Between 60-102 tots were suspected victims of child sexual abuse by
Hambright and others, but 2 investigations led to dismissal of charges.
Five children had contracted chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease.
The Army daycare was closed. Parents have filed more than $60 million in
claims against the Army alleging negligence led to sexual abuse of kids.
The claims haven't been heard. Hambright died maintaining his innocence,
leaving an obituary rife with references to " my Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ." A Presidio spokesperson said none of the children
have shown signs of AIDS. (San Jose Mercury News, 1/5/90; Orange Co.
Register, 1/6/90)
- Mount Cashel orphanage, a once-respected 90-year-old orphanage in St.
John's, Newfoundland, will close. Run by the Congregation of Irish
Christian Brothers, it is the subject of a government inquiry and police
investigations, leading to the charging of 9 brothers and former brothers
with sexually and physically abusing orphan boys. Nineteen other priests
or brothers in Newfoundland have also been charged or convicted of similar
sex crimes. Most of the orphanage crimes occurred in the 1970s. The
inquiry is investigating why a 1975 police probe was halted, maybe covered
up. In November, BROTHER GERARD COX was charged with 3 counts of sexually
abusing boys there; 38 orphans will be transferred out. MSGR. WILLIAM
BOONE, 65, of Corner Brook, was also charged in November with indecent
assault and gross indecency against a young man. (Canadian Press,
11/11/89; Buffalo News, 12/3/89)
- REV. VAUGHAN QUINN, flamboyant ex-director of Detroit's Sacred Heart
Rehabilitation Center for alcoholics, agreed to pay $20,000 to a woman
charging he raped her while she was a patient in 1986. Sacred Heart will
also pay her $10,000 to settle a suit charging he abused their "
psychotherapist-patient and priest-penitent relationship " to "
force and coerce her " into sex. A recovering alcoholic himself,
Quinn built Sacred Heart into one of Michigan's largest residential
alcoholic treatment centers, and was socially well-connected. Actor Mike
Connors wanted to star Robert Redford in a movie about him. The production
never panned out. Quinn resigned in 1987, and is now chaplain at Collins
Bay Institution, a medium security prison in Kingston, Ontario. (Detroit
Free Press, 1/4/90)