ABUSE TRACKER

Khan persuaded victims to meet him at isolated spots, where he would rape or sexually abuse them, saying he would be possessed or disguised as a jinn, or supernatural spirit.

A former imam who coerced his victims, some as young as 12, into believing he had supernatural powers, has been found guilty of 21 sexual offences, including nine counts of rape.

Abdul Halim Khan, 54, of Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green, in east London, used his position as a respected faith leader to abuse multiple women and girls between 2004 and 2015, the Metropolitan Police said.

He was convicted of nine counts of rape, four counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, five counts of rape of a child under 13 and one count of assault by penetration at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday.

Khan persuaded victims to meet him…

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Editor’s note: The following report contains a description of sexual abuse and may be unsuitable for certain audiences.

A former D.C. student, who is now 22 years old, recently took to social media to level allegations of sex abuse against his former coach, a teacher at Banneker High School.

The accusation has left parents and students upset, and the school sent a letter home to parents saying the teacher is now on leave.

On the same day that letter went out, the man behind the allegations sat down to talk with WTOP about what happened.

Rashad Williams said he was 17 years old at the time of the incident. He said it happened in July 2020, though he doesn’t know exactly when. That’s also the timeline listed in a report taken by D.C. police, which otherwise offers few details.

Williams said the incident took place at the coach’s home. He…

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Case ‘driven by mixed motives, some of which may not be related to student welfare,’ says Franciscan priest

A Catholic priest serving as a school principal was assaulted by parents and later arrested by police in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, after molestation complaints were made against him by several students.

Father Arisher Joseph, the principal of St. Francis School in Khuntakheda, Rampur district, was arrested on Feb. 16, but released the same day after being granted bail.

The First Information Report recorded by the police mentions that the case came to light after parents noticed that their children were “hesitant and fearful” about going to school.

When questioned, many students alleged that Joseph would call them individually to his office about mistakes made or misbehavior in classrooms. It is alleged he would inappropriately touch them, saying this was “a form of punishment to discipline them.”

The police report said things came to…

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Harvest Christian Fellowship funded Paul Havsgaard’s ministry. Then they allegedly ignored warnings of abuse and exploitation.

There are church scandals, and then there are the jaw-dropping allegations being made against one of the largest megachurches in America.

The allegations involve California’s Harvest Christian Fellowship, led by Pastor Greg Laurie, and his former right-hand man, Pastor Paul Havsgaard. While news reports on the allegation have been coming out at a steady drip since September, we now have a response from Havsgaard himself.

The details are damning. In short, Harvest Christian Fellowship funded the creation of several Romanian orphanages, led by Havsgaard. But due to a lack of proper oversight from the church, children who stayed at the buildings now say Havsgaard sexually abused them for years.

The complaints, filed [in September] by 33-year-old Marian Barbu and 40-year-old Mihai-Constantin Petcu, said former Harvest Christian Fellowship pastor and missionary Paul Havsgaard severely abused them and dozens of other children…

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 Prince George’s County school employee Xaviour Smith was indicted in federal court Thursday on child sexual abuse charges.

The 28-year-old is accused of coercing three minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions between March and August 2025, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

Smith is the founder of 1011 Dance Academy in Temple Hills, which serves eight through 18-year-olds.

He faces five counts of producing child sex abuse materials, and if convicted, could spend a minimum of 15 years and maximum of 30 years in federal person.

Prince George’s County Public Schools told 7News that Smith is on leave. Here’s their full statement:

“We were informed today of the federal indictment of one of our employees, Xaviour Smith. Mr. Smith is currently on leave. As this is a personnel matter, we are unable to share…

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A Prince George’s County school employee and dance academy founder has been charged with 5 counts of producing child sex abuse material.

A dance academy founder and school employee made his initial appearance in federal court Thursday in connection to alleged child sex abuse crimes.

Xaviour Smith, 28, of Upper Marlboro has been charged with five counts of producing child sexual abuse material. Smith is the founder of 1101 Dance Academy, Inc., in Temple Hills, which serves youths aged 8 to 18. Smith also works for the Prince George’s County Public Schools.

According to the indictment, between March and August 2025, Smith persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced three minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Smith exploited the minors for the purpose of producing visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct, according to court documents.

Prince George’s County Public Schools told WUSA9 they placed Smith on leave after learning…

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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria is reminding individuals who allege sexual abuse connected to the diocese or its affiliated entities that they must file a claim by June 8, 2026, as part of the diocese’s ongoing bankruptcy case.

The diocese filed for bankruptcy as it works to restructure its nonprofit operations and address compensation for people identified in court documents as putative abuse survivors.

The case, listed as In re: Diocese of Alexandria, Case No. 25-31257 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana, includes a deadline for survivors to submit a Putative Abuse Survivor Proof of Claim.

According to the public notice, anyone who believes they were sexually abused and that the diocese or individuals affiliated with it may be responsible is required to file a claim. This includes alleged abuse connected to entities or activities associated with the…

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Leer en español 

A Polish bishop went on trial Wednesday, accused of not informing authorities immediately about alleged sexual abuse of children by two priests in his diocese.

It is the first time a Polish bishop is on trial over sexual abuse allegedly committed by priests under his authority.

The Catholic Church has long been the highest moral authority in Poland, having played an inspirational role during occupation and foreign rule and supporting the anti-communist Solidarity movement in the 1980s.

But years of reckoning with clergy abuse and decades of cover-up by religious superiors have damaged the credibility of the hierarchy, which produced Poland’s most famous Catholic, St. John Paul II.

Superiors in the church hierarchy are accused of ignoring the crimes or, in some cases, protecting priests by moving them to new posts once the scandals were made public. A 2019 report by the Polish Episcopal Conference, the central…

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After decades of alleged abuse at Vista Maria in Dearborn, eight survivors of the residential facility are speaking out, calling for accountability and encouraging others to share their stories. 

“Leadership failed us. Instead of protecting children, they protected the institution,” said Janene Tague.

At times overcome with emotion as they recounted their experiences, the eight women shared their frustrations and anger over what happened to them while they lived at the Dearborn Heights facility for vulnerable girls.

“The brochures made it look like a supportive environment where girls would walk freely, go to school, participate in activities and heal. I believed them,” said Tague.

CBS News Detroit reached out to Vista Maria for comment, but did not hear back.

Last December, the embattled facility laid off nearly 130 employees and ended its residential youth mental health programming, following dozens of complaints and violations, including allegations of physical…

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The Diocese of Camden has agreed to a $180-million settlement resolving decades of sex abuse claims made against former priests. 

The diocese is simultaneously reorganizing its finances through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Compensation for those making claims will come once the settlement is approved, attorneys said.

The deal calls for greater transparency about the scandal that affected people like Andrew Napoli.

“It’s horrific,” Napoli said. 

The Gibbstown native came from a devout Roman Catholic family. He was a student at Saint James High School in Carneys Point in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

That’s when he met the school’s principal, Father Peter Osinski. 

The sexual abuse by Osinski happened repeatedly inside the now-closed high school, and elsewhere, according to a federal lawsuit.

“And it affects your whole life,” Napoli said.

The suit alleged: “Osinski threatened Plaintiff, telling him that if he ever revealed Osinski’s violent sexual abuse, he…

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… and some parallels to the Epstein Files

The Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee will hold its first ever “Forces for Good Summit” on February 25 at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

With a full day of speakers, they’re promoting the event as one that will address the “holistic stewardship of churches,” including sexual abuse prevention.

One of the featured speakers will be Robert Showers.

Yes. Robert Showers.

I know some of you will recognize the name (and I swear I can hear you gagging), but for those who don’t know who he is, let me fill you in.

Robert Showers was an attorney for the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE), which had a missionary named Donn Ketcham, who was accused of sexually abusing many young girls and women over the course of two decades.

Eventually, with an outside investigation conducted by Professional Investigators International (PII), the reports of 18…

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A former North Tulsa pastor is sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading no contest to rape and child abuse charges involving his own daughter.

Pastor Bertheophilius Bailey, who served as pastor at St. Andrew Christian Church, will serve at least 13 years behind bars under Oklahoma’s 85% law before becoming eligible for parole.

He is also going to be on the registered sex offenders list for life.

Bailey’s daughter, Harmony Oates, testified during the sentencing hearing, delivering powerful statements to her father, including “I don’t hate you” and “I forgive you.”

“That I got justice, justice along with every other victim,” Oates said after the sentencing.

Oates said the abuse began when she was in sixth grade, with her father touching her inappropriately. Bailey wasn’t arrested for the crimes until 2024.

“I knew how to set a boundary, but whenever he’s your father and whenever he’s a pastor…

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Breaking silence. Confronting clergy abuse. 

I am baffled, as no doubt many of you are, by the high numbers of individuals holding positions of power and authority who all knew what Jeffrey Epstein was doing, yet who ignored it.

Simply put, I am astounded by the sheer multitude who said nothing, shirked personal responsibility by ignoring their moral duty, and turned a blind eye to protect themselves while failing to protect the young and vulnerable. 

Yesterday, the media ran articles about a newly uncovered file from the U.S. Justice Department’s latest release of Epstein files (and of course, there are thousands more files still not released). In particular, the focus yesterday was on an FBI interview with Donald Trump, undertaken in 2006 when Epstein’s first sex crime charges became public. The file notes that Trump called the Palm Beach police chief and was cited as saying:

“Thank goodness you’re stopping…

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Charity Baptist Church in Kannapolis, N.C., has dismissed longtime pastor Marty Payton after church leaders recently became aware of “serious allegations of a sexual nature” that occurred prior to his tenure at the church, according to a statement from the church.

The move came after the church was made aware of the allegations, which did not involve individuals in the congregation, according to the statement. 

“Charity leaders took immediate action to address the matter, ensure the safety of the congregation, and provide care for all involved,” the statement said. “Marty Payton is no longer on staff at Charity.”

Payton had been on the pastoral staff at Charity Baptist for more than 20 years, according to a since-deleted bio on the church’s website. He joined the staff at Charity in August 2004 as youth pastor and became the church’s senior pastor in August 2010 following retirement of the church’s founding pastor.

…

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Survivors and advocates joined Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Monday at the Willow Domestic Violence Center to announce new federal legislation aimed at removing legal barriers for sexual abuse and human trafficking survivors seeking justice.

“Today I’m announcing Virginia’s Law, new legislation that will end statute of limitation barriers that have kept survivors from justice for far too long,” Schumer said. ” Because justice should never expire.”

Schumer said current federal law allows an adult survivor to bring a federal claim if it is filed within 10 years of the abuse. He said the proposed legislation would allow victims of sexual abuse and trafficking to file civil claims against their abusers without a time limit.

The bill is named in honor of Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s high-profile accusers.

MORE: DOJ declares full release of Epstein Files, but list of 300 names sparks backlash

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Bishop Rick Stika, who resigned from leadership of the Diocese of Knoxville in 2023, has died.

Stika was 68 years old. He suffered from diabetes and heart problems, including a 2009 heart attack and a 2018 bypass surgery.

Stika had led the Diocese of Knoxville for almost 15 years before — amid allegations of cover-up — the Vatican requested his resignation, which was accepted by Pope Francis in June 2023.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1957, Stika was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1985.

He served in parish appointments for a number of years, as well as in the roles of chancellor, vicar general, and vicar for priests.

In 2009, he was named Bishop of Knoxville.

Stika’s tenure became tumultuous in 2021, when allegations surfaced that he had interfered with an investigation into claims of sexual assault by a seminarian.

Stika in 2021 admitted…

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A second priest who worked at St Bede’s College was accused of sexual abuse by three complainants over three decades, it can be revealed.

The priest, who “strenuously denied” the allegations, was rector at the school for more than a decade and worked alongside a priest who was recently revealed as sexually abusing four boys.

The school’s current rector says the matter is “distressing”, and that any form of abuse is “unacceptable”.

RNZ earlier revealed that former priest Rowan Donoghue had admitted six charges including indecent assault on a boy aged 12-16, indecent assault on a boy 16 and over and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection. He is awaiting sentencing.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

The offending related to four boys who were boarding at St Bede’s College in Christchurch between 1996 and 2000.

It can now be revealed that another priest, Fr Brian Cummings, was also accused of…

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A Polish bishop went on trial Wednesday for allegedly covering up paedophilia by priests in his diocese in a landmark case for the deeply Catholic country.   

The Bishop of Tarnow Andrzej Jez is the first member of the hierarchy to face criminal charges for failing to inform authorities of abuse by clergy. 

The bishop, who denies the charges, told the court that “if we had not reported these two cases at all, this trial would not be taking place.”  

“Paradoxically, I am being charged for my zeal,” he added. 

Prosecutors said the bishop — who could face three years in jail — was aware of two cases of priests abusing underage altar boys. 

One of the priests is believed to have abused 95 children, and committed sexual crimes against 77.

It was one of the largest cases of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Poland, with incidents going as…

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A New Jersey Catholic diocese outside Philadelphia has agreed to pay $180 million in a clergy sexual abuse settlement, the latest in a church scandal set off more than two decades ago.

The settlement, which must still be approved by a bankruptcy court, comes after the diocese had fought a state a grand jury investigation for years before relenting last year.

The Camden diocese, like others nationwide, filed for bankruptcy amid a torrent of lawsuits after the statute of limitations was relaxed.

Here is a list of some of the other large clergy abuse settlements reached by the Catholic Church in the U.S.

Los Angeles

In 2024, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to pay $880 million to more than 1,000 victims of clergy sexual abuse dating back decades.

The archdiocese, which covers Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties, had previously paid more than $740 million to victims, making the total payout more…

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In an effort to keep Father Patrick Sexton’s personnel files hidden from the public, attorneys for the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn originally argued that unsealing the documents would violate the Church’s First Amendment right to free practice of religion. A judge disagreed.

A former altar boy, suing over alleged clergy sex abuse, says newly unsealed priest personnel files prove the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn is misleading the public about its prior knowledge of pedophile priests.

David Ferrick, now 57, says Patrick Sexton, a defrocked priest, molested him on multiple occasions in 1979 and 1980 when Father Sexton helped run the parish at St. Cecilia Church in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn.  Ferrick’s lawsuit, one of several filed under New York’s Child Victims Act, claims the Diocese was aware of Father Sexton’s pedophilia tendencies and yet failed to protect children in his presence.

In its official response to Ferrick’s lawsuit, attorneys…

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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, has reached a new agreement to contribute an additional $180 million to a compensation trust for survivors of clergy sexual abuse, marking what church officials describe as the final resolution of its long-running bankruptcy case.

The new funding comes after a Chapter 11 reorganization plan was approved in March 2024 that had already established an $87.5 million settlement pool for abuse claimants. The expanded agreement was negotiated with a committee representing more than 300 survivors and remains subject to approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey.

According to the diocese, the trust will be financed by a combination of diocesan assets, parish contributions and payments from several insurance carriers.

Camden Bishop Joseph A. Williams issued a public statement acknowledging the harm suffered by survivors and thanking them for coming forward. He described their willingness to speak out as an act…

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The Camden Diocese announced a $180 million settlement Tuesday with survivors of clergy sexual abuse, marking a significant development in a years-long legal process.

The settlement compensates more than 300 victims who have come forward over the years and requires the Diocese of Camden to disclose information about the history of sexual abuse within the diocese.

Survivor advocates said the agreement represents a critical step toward accountability and institutional change.

The diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020, beginning a process that culminated in the settlement announced this week.

“What all the survivors ultimately wanted was a statement from the diocese and the insurers about how serious this issue is, and I think that’s exactly what this represents,” said Stewart Ryan, a partner at Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan LLP, who represents several survivors.

In a statement, Bishop Joseph Williams of the Camden Diocese said, in part, “For the survivors of…

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My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I write to you today with news of profound significance for the Catholic Church of South Jersey and especially for those who have been harmed by clergy sexual abuse.  Last week, the Official Committee of Tort Claimant Creditors (the Survivors’ Committee) unanimously agreed to accept the terms of a final bankruptcy settlement with the Diocese of Camden.  The proposed plan establishes a trust of $180 million, funded by the Diocese, its Parishes and the various insurers that insured the Diocese in the past, which will be made available to resolve all claims of abuse upon approval by the Bankruptcy Court. *  For the survivors of South Jersey, this day is long overdue and represents a milestone in their journey toward restored justice and the healing and recognition they have long sought and deserve.

To each one of those survivors, I would like to…

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The Diocese of Springfield issued an update on its list of clergy who have been found credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor.

On Tuesday, the diocese added the name of the late Father Raymond Leveillee (Levay) to its list of credibly accused clergy. Father Leveillee was a member of the diocese from 1950 to 2003, and he died in 2007. The abuse reportedly took place between 1971 and 1974, when he worked at the former St. Patrick’s Parish in Hinsdale and the former St. Mathew’s Parish in Becket.

Father Leveillee was assigned to the following churches:

• All Saints, Ware: 1950-1954
• Holy Trinity, Greenfield: 1954
• All Souls, Springfield: 1954-1955
• Saint Mary’s, Orange: 1957-1960
• Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Springfield: 1964-1968
• Our Lady of Hope, Springfield: 1968-1970
• St. Mary, Orange: 1970-1971
• St. Patrick’s, Hinsdale: 1971-1988
• St. Mathew’s, Becket: 1971-1988

The Review Board carefully reviewed this allegation, including a report issued by the diocesan investigative team, to…

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A newly released clerical sexual abuse report in Poland’s Diocese of Sosnowiec is being described by investigators as a necessary step toward accountability, while Church leaders call it a painful but essential moment in rebuilding trust after years of scandals.

The partial report, published Feb. 12 by the independent commission “Explanation and Repair,” documents at least 50 identified victims of sexual abuse of minors and highlights systemic failures in how allegations were handled over decades.

Priests incardinated into diocese

The report found that approximately 3.2% of almost 600 priests incardinated into the diocese since its founding in 1992, were involved in abusive behaviors — with some cases of abuse committed by Sosnowiec’s priests before the establishment of the diocese.

Bishop Artur Wazny of Sosnowiec framed the publication of the partial report as a moment of “deep pain,” “shame” and “necessary purification.”

“The report is not an act of accusation nor…

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Bishop Jeż will stand trial Feb. 18 on charges of failing to notify law enforcement promptly about allegations against two priests.

A Polish Catholic diocese has defended its bishop’s handling of clerical abuse cases on the eve of a landmark trial.

Bishop Andrzej Jeż, who has led the southeastern Diocese of Tarnów since 2012, is scheduled to stand trial in a district court Feb. 18 on charges of failing to notify law enforcement promptly about allegations against two priests accused of abusing minors under the age of 15, which he denies.

Polish media say the trial of a diocesan bishop on these charges is unprecedented and will be followed closely across the country.

In a Feb. 16 statement, the Tarnów diocese insisted that the 62-year-old bishop had correctly observed both civil and Church law.

The district prosecutor’s office in Tarnów filed an indictment against Jeż in April 2024, accusing him of…

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A second man is now arrested and charged with crimes related to the sexual exploitation of a minor.

FOX13 found Martineous Tyler is in custody, indicted on charges including human trafficking and aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor. He’s the second person to be charged in connection to a crime related to the same child, according to one unidentified mother.

She sat down with FOX13 in July 2025 after Demarcus Smith, a former pastor and registered sex offender, was set to be sentenced to federal charges related to her son. The mom — whom FOX13 will not identify because of the nature of the crime — told FOX13 her son first met Tyler in 2024.

“He liked doing graphic design, and the guy has a business, so he used to take him to the business to print out things and get little orders together; he liked that,” she said.

She…

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Content warning: This article discusses sexual assault.

A pastor at Bethel Church has been placed on leave after allegations of sexual assault surfaced in a YouTube video.

In a February 15 statement, leaders of the charismatic megachurch said they had become aware of a video “containing serious allegations of clergy sexual abuse” against pastor Ben Armstrong, dating back to 2009.

In a separate statement issued two days earlier, the church said that “an accusation from 2008-2009 involving Ben Armstrong and a former BSSM student” had been made, and that it pre-dated what the church described as “a known moral failure in 2009″.

For that earlier matter, leaders said Armstrong “publicly repented, was removed from ministry, and walked through a multi-year healing and restoration process”.

Citing what it called “new and previously unknown allegations”, Bethel said Armstrong has now been placed on “administrative leave” pending an investigation.

“He will not be ministering while…

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A worship pastor at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church was terminated after being arrested Monday night on multiple charges related to the sexual assault of a juvenile, according to a statement from the church.

Kentucky State Police troopers with Post 16 in Henderson arrested David A. Rodgers, 40, of Utica at 7:35 p.m. Monday following an investigation that revealed he had “engaged in a sexual relationship with a juvenile through a position of special trust.”

The church issued a statement on Tuesday concerning the arrest.

“On the evening of February 16, 2026, church leadership was made aware of sexual assault allegations against David Rodgers, who was serving as Worship Pastor at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. We are deeply saddened and troubled by these allegations. The church takes all allegations of sexual assault extremely seriously, and we ask that you join us in prayerfully awaiting information regarding this ongoing legal matter.”

The…

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Holy Spirit Sister Maria Fransiska Imakulata has been advocating justice for 13 trafficking victims rescued from a nightclub

The governor of Indonesia’s West Java province has thanked a Catholic nun for assisting alleged trafficking victims rescued from a nightclub in East Nusa Tenggara and pledged legal support to ensure justice.West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi called Holy Spirit Sister Maria Fransiska Imakulata on Feb. 17 to express appreciation for her efforts on behalf of the victims, most of whom are from West Java.

Sister Imakulata told UCA News that the governor asked about the victims’ condition and promised to oversee the case personally.

“He thanked us for helping the victims. He promised to handle the matter directly,” she said.

According to the nun, Mulyadi also said he would visit East Nusa Tenggara and meet the police to ensure the case is processed in accordance with the law.

Sister Imakulata chairs the…

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The Brooklyn Diocese has agreed to negotiate a “global” settlement to compensate 1,100 people who accused priests and staffers of child sex abuse — a figure that will likely run into hundreds of millions of dollars.

The payouts for these cases—90% of which date back more than 50 years to the 1960s and ’70s — will be a huge financial blow to the diocese, forcing it to unload real estate to raise the settlement money.

“To facilitate this global resolution, the Diocese is cost-cutting and setting aside significant funds to compensate victim-survivors,” Bishop Robert Brennan said Thursday in a “Dear brothers and sisters” letter to the church faithful.

“The process of marshalling these funds entails difficult financial choices, but the Diocese is committed to fairly compensating all meritorious claims,” Brennan said, adding that the payout cash will not come from parishioners.

“The funds used to make these settlements, and future ones, have…

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In a sweeping move, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn announced that it intends to settle the remaining 1,100 lawsuits of alleged child sex abuse at the hands of priests and church staff.

“There’s no fair way to resolve these things,” said Sabrina Cools, of St. Albans. “So a little bit of compensation for what people have been through, it always helps.”

Plaintiff’s attorney Mitchell Garabedian has settled thousands of clergy sex abuse cases and currently represents 25 victim-survivors who filed against the Brooklyn Diocese. He has his doubts.

“My clients are skeptical, understandably, they don’t trust the diocese,” Garabedian told NBC New York. “Is the compensation program going to be fair? Is it going to provide validation?”

In a letter to the faithful, Bishop Robert J. Brennan wrote “we will endeavor to resolve expeditiously, all meritorious claims and to avoid the time expense and emotional strain for victim survivors that…

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In a landmark decision handed down on 11 February, the High Court of Australia has expanded the scope of the Catholic Church’s liability in sexual abuse cases.  

When he was 13 years old, a man known as “AA” was abused by an assistant priest of the diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, Fr Ronald Pickin, in 1969. Fr Pickin died in 2015 and was never charged with any offences, although other boys also complained about him later on. He never had an opportunity to respond to the allegations.  

AA won his case for compensation in the NSW Supreme Court, but he lost in the Court of Appeal. The justices contended that AA’s account of the abuse did not reach the requisite standard of proof, that the risk of harm was not foreseeable by the diocese, and that the diocese could not be held liable for a breach of a “non-delegable” duty of care…

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A necessary question in light of the Gospel

Editor’s note: This story is part of Global Sisters Report’s yearlong series, “Out of the Shadows: Confronting Violence Against Women,” which will focus on the ways Catholic sisters are responding to this global phenomenon. 

Speaking about sexual abuse within the church is not an ideological matter or the result of external pressure. Above all, it is a profoundly Gospel-centered issue. It places us before the core of Jesus’ message: the sacred dignity of every person, the protection of the most vulnerable, the truth that sets free, and the justice that heals. For this reason, the question many believers are asking today is neither superficial nor ill-intentioned, but honest and painful: Is the church truly seeking to combat sexual abuse, or is it trying to manage its consequences?

The church has spoken words, drafted documents, and created commissions and protocols. However, the existence of…

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The trial of Jacek K., a Catholic priest, accused of sexual offences against children has begun at a district court in Sosnowiec, southern Poland.

Prosecutors allege that Fr Jacek K., from the Sosnowiec diocese, committed nine sexual offences against minors and possessed child abuse imagery.

Seven people are recognised as victims in the case.

Proceedings are being held behind closed doors due to the nature of the charges.

The court approved a request to exclude the public, citing the privacy and welfare of those involved.

Jacek K. was brought to court from custody, where he has been held since his arrest in October 2024.

He has denied the allegations during the investigation.

If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison.

Allegations span 16 years

According to prosecutors, the alleged offences took place between 2008 and 2024 in locations where he carried out pastoral duties and taught religious education.

…

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A South Riding man apologized for soliciting underage girls while teaching at St. Veronica Catholic School in Chantilly and sought leniency at his Feb. 12 sentencing in Loudoun Circuit Court.

“I stand here before you embarrassed and humbled. My actions show a lack of character and self control and I do take full responsibility,” Nicholas Martin Zimmerman told Chief Judge Douglas L Fleming Jr. “Not a day goes by that I don’t regret all of it. The guilt I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”

Zimmerman, 36, taught at the school from August 2015 through February 2025. He pleaded guilty in September to two counts of electronic solicitation of a minor and six counts of possession of child pornography.

Zimmerman was arrested in April. The investigation began last February when a parent showed the St. Veronica principal photos from a sexually explicit Snapchat conversation…

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Woman Accuses Former Church Worship Director of Repeated Sexual Abuse

A 27-year-old woman spent hours on the witness stand Tuesday describing a relationship she says began as music lessons and turned into sexual abuse by a former Cleveland-area church worship director, according to WKYC. 

The woman stated she met Andres Andino when she was in sixth grade, when he worked as the school choir director at St. Anthony of Padua, located at 1305 E Erie Ave, Lorain, OH 44052.

Defendant Indicted on Multiple Counts

Andres Andino, 60, was indicted in March 2025 on two counts of sexual battery, two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and one count of rape. At the time of his arrest he was director of worship at St. John Bosco Catholic Church in Parma Heights and worked part-time at St. Joseph Parish in Avon Lake, while also holding volunteer roles across the Diocese…

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Editor’s note: This story is part of Global Sisters Report’s yearlong series, “Out of the Shadows: Confronting Violence Against Women,” focused on the ways Catholic sisters are responding to this global phenomenon.

Coal dust settles on Emalahleni before the sun rises, coating tin roofs, school uniforms and bare feet. By nightfall, smoke from power stations and cooking fires thickens the air, burning throats and eyes. In this mining city east of Johannesburg, extraction is not just an industry. It is the atmosphere people breathe and the ground they walk on.

It is also where children and young girls are disappearing.

Built at the heart of South Africa’s coal belt, Emalahleni, whose name means “place of coal” in isiZulu, sits in Mpumalanga province, about 70 miles east of Johannesburg. For decades, coal and gold mines here powered the national economy and promised jobs, stability and development. They drew workers from across South…

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The newly installed Archbishop of Westminster has said the Church must learn from victims of sexual abuse.

Archbishop Richard Moth was installed as the new head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales on Saturday. 

In his homily, he said the work of evangelisation was “vital” but admitted that this had been “adversely impacted” by past abuse scandals and safeguarding failings.

“Here I am most aware of every occasion on which members of the Church, or the Church as a whole, have failed, most especially when the vulnerable have been abused,” he said.

“Such failure calls for listening to and learning from those who have suffered so grievously and a continuing commitment to ensuring that our communities are places where all are safe in their encounter with Christ and with one another.”

Elsewhere in his homily, he called on believers to have “boldness” rather than fear in sharing the Gospel, and to be…

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The diocese, one of the nation’s most diverse, seeks to universally settle more than 1,100 cases—including one against a Black Catholic bishop.

The Diocese of Brooklyn has announced it will enter into mediation concerning more than a thousand pending child sex abuse cases, which include an active case against a retired Black Catholic bishop.

Bishop Robert J. Brennan announced the news on Feb. 12 with a letter to Catholics in the diocese, which covers the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.

“Today I announce that the Diocese intends to pursue a global resolution of all approximately 1,100 remaining cases,” wrote Brennan, who has led the diocese—one of the nation’s most populous—since 2021.

“We will endeavor to resolve expeditiously all meritorious claims, and to avoid the time, expense, and emotional strain for victim-survivors that would be caused by individual trials.”

The Brooklyn Diocese is one of several…

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The newly installed Archbishop of Westminster has said the Church must learn from victims of sexual abuse.

Archbishop Richard Moth was installed as the new head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales on Saturday. 

In his homily, he said the work of evangelisation was “vital” but admitted that this had been “adversely impacted” by past abuse scandals and safeguarding failings.

“Here I am most aware of every occasion on which members of the Church, or the Church as a whole, have failed, most especially when the vulnerable have been abused,” he said.

“Such failure calls for listening to and learning from those who have suffered so grievously and a continuing commitment to ensuring that our communities are places where all are safe in their encounter with Christ and with one another.”

Elsewhere in his homily, he called on believers to have “boldness” rather than fear in sharing the Gospel, and to be…

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Opinion

What if power abuses are ultimately theological? Clergy abuse is so common, it has become a cliche. The new archbishop of Canterbury was accused of colluding with an abusive priest. In December, a federal judge ordered the New Orleans Archdiocese to pay at least $230 million to hundreds of victims who were sexually abused by clergy. 

At the same time, we learned new details about the tentacles of the Southern Baptist Convention’s abuses, particularly concerning former seminary professor David Sills. Before that, it was the megachurch pastor charged with beating a 15-year-old with a power cord. Before that, it was the Idaho pastor engaged in human trafficking. Going further back, who could forget about the abuses perpetrated by Ravi Zacharias, or Sovereign Grace Ministries, or Mark Driscoll, who, a decade after his abuses at Mars Hill Church, is teaming up with Turning Point USA?

And sickeningly, we learned the acting ICE field director for Minneapolis is David Easterwood, a…

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Ted Gutierrez grew up in Canarsie, Brooklyn, attending Holy Family Roman Catholic Church. He remembers Priest Romano Ferraro touching him inappropriately.

“I became an altar boy, and that’s when I noticed the abuse. But I didn’t realize it was abuse because we thought it was just normal. Because how could a priest, a respected member of the community, do something like that,” he told NY1.

What You Need To Know On Thursday, Bishop of Brooklyn, Rev. Robert J. Brennan, announced the diocese “intends to pursue a global resolution of all approximately 1,100 remaining cases” 
However, Anela Doumanian, a lawyer representing about 50 survivors with claims against the Brooklyn Diocese, called this “a PR stunt masquerading as a settlement offer”
The church says it has reached out to lawyers representing the largest groups of plaintiffsSurvivor Ted Gutierrez, who already received a settlement from the Diocese of Brooklyn a few years ago, believes the church…

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I never expected to be producing a show that stares straight at the Catholic Church’s crisis of sexual abuse and cover-up, but right now it feels necessary in a way I cannot ignore.

This piece is for anyone who has ever felt silenced, shamed or pressured to look away from something they knew was wrong. It is for Catholics, non-Catholics, ex-Catholics, people who are allergic to religion, people who have never stepped inside a church and people who have. Because the thing I am talking about is not “a Catholic issue.” It is a human one.

I am producing this special event surrounding the 2024 documentary film “Fox Chase Boy” because this feels like the right moment to tell the truth out loud, in a room, together. (Full disclosure: As a producer, I have helped provide the funds to stage this show and to allow ticket prices to be set…

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David Ryan, a 61-year-old Irishman who suffered sexual abuse as a teenager, shared his story face-to-face with Pope Leo XIV, the first time the pope met with a victim individually.

Feb. 2 marked a turning point in the life of David Ryan, a 61-year-old Irishman who suffered sexual abuse as a teenager. More than 40 years later, he was able to share his story face-to-face with Pope Leo XIV in the first private meeting the pontiff has held alone with a victim of abuse.

While the Holy Father had already met with other victims of abuse, those meetings were in groups. The meeting with Ryan was different: For almost an hour, he was able to share everything he thought and still thinks about what happened to him and about the reaction of the Catholic Church in Ireland, which he felt did not listen to him.

“He’s a…

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SNAP condemns the Diocese of Brooklyn’s intention to pursue a global resolution of all of its approximately 1,100 remaining cases. This effort to settle more than a thousand cases in one fell swoop is merely a mechanism designed to block accountability through the courts, shielding church records from disclosure and church officials from sworn testimony. 

SNAP rejects Bishop Robert J. Brennan’s premise that summary resolution will protect victim-survivors from the strain of individual court cases. This effort’s true aim is one of damage control, capping liability and suppressing the full truth about decades of abuse and cover-up. 

The legal process of summary settlements shuts out survivors entirely from being heard, compounding their trauma and forcing them through mass dismissal. Survivors are reduced to claim numbers, their testimony muted, and their pain negotiated behind closed doors. SNAP stands in unwavering solidarity with all those harmed in New York, those who have…

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The diocese has already paid out more than $100 million to over 500 victims of abuse.

The Diocese of Brooklyn will pursue a broad settlement with more than 1,000 alleged victims of Church abuse, Bishop Robert Brennan said on Feb. 12, with a well-known California judge set to help mediate the process.

Unlike many U.S. dioceses that have faced hundreds of sex abuse claims and tens of millions of dollars in settlement costs, the Brooklyn Diocese has not filed for bankruptcy. But the diocese launched a compensation program in 2017, which Brennan in his Feb. 12 letter said has already paid “over 500 victim-survivors more than $100 million.”

The diocese now “intends to pursue a global resolution of all approximately 1,100 remaining cases,” Brennan wrote.

“We will endeavor to resolve expeditiously all meritorious claims and to avoid the time, expense, and emotional strain for victim-survivors that would be caused…

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This week, sexual abuse survivors and survivor-advocates testified in front of legislative panels in Georgia, Kansas and Missouri, supporting passage of state versions of Trey’s Law bills that impact sexual abuse cases.

These and other applications of Trey’s Law are named for Trey Carlock, a child sexual abuse survivor who died by suicide in 2019 after being muzzled by a nondisclosure agreement, or NDA.

Monday, witnesses testified in front of the Georgia House Judiciary Committee in a public hearing for HB 1187, the state’s version of Trey’s Law. Thursday, a group testified in front of the Kansas House Committee on Judiciary for  HB 2688, which is another version of Trey’s Law.

Between these two hearings on Wednesday, another group testified in front of the Missouri Senate Judiciary Committee in a public hearing for SJR 93 and SB 1140, which aim to amend the civil statute of limitations in sexual abuse cases. 

…

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A 50-year-old man from Cambridge was placed under arrest on Friday as part of an ongoing investigation into child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Michel Pleau, who is currently a vice-principal for the Waterloo Region Catholic District School Board is facing numerous charges in connection to the investigation.

Regional police have confirmed that the offenses he’s been charged with do not involve any students from the Waterloo Region Catholic District School Board.

The school board has released a statement following the arrest, where they confirm none of their students are effected.

The statement goes on to read “As this matter proceeds through the legal system, we will continue to cooperate fully with police and remain focused on supporting our school community. The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff remain our highest priority.”

Pleau has been charged with the following offences:

• Possession of Child Sexual Assault and Exploitation Material
• Making Child Sexual…

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A former Kaukauna private school teacher has changed his plea to guilty in 17 of the 30 felony child pornography and exploitation charges filed against him in Calumet County Circuit Court.

Collin Killoren, 31, of Shiocton, initially entered a not guilty plea to all 30 counts on July 10, but reached a plea agreement with prosecutors that was entered into the court record during a Feb. 12 hearing, according to public court records.

As a consequence, he changed his plea to guilty to 13 counts of child sexual exploitation and four counts of child pornography. The rest of the charges were read into the record and dismissed. Each charge carries a potential fine of up to $100,000, up to 25 years in prison for each child pornography charge, and up to 40 years for each exploitation charge.

His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 16, according to…

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A former West Tennessee pastor convicted of sex crimes against children is up for parole next month, records show.

FOX13 first reported on Ronnie Gorton, the former pastor of Awakening Church in Atoka, in 2016 when he was initially charged with rape of a child.

In 2019, a jury found him guilty of 24 charges includes 11 counts of statutory rape by an authority figure. Gorton pled guilty soon after to another 23 charges.

RELATED: Trial begins for pastor accused of dozens of sex crimes involving children

At the time, his attorney, Blake Ballin, said he was sentenced to 38 years and eligible for parole after serving 17 years. This month, victims connected to the case received a letter from the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) saying Gorton has a parole hearing in March.

FOX13 spoke to one former associate of Gorton who described shock after he…

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Kathleen Chorbajian faces dozens of charges alongside her husband Myron

A judge has decided to grant bond for a woman facing dozens of charges of child abuse from the 1980s.

Kathleen Chorbajian and her husband Myron were both charged in May of last year. Myron Chorbajian was the pastor for First Southern Methodist Church in Greenville before he was arrested.

The couple faces more than 90 charges combined over accusations they abused their children in the 1980s. Their warrants lay out allegations that investigators say Myron Chorbajian sexually abused several of the children and forced a child to search dumpsters and eat rotten food. He’s also accused of forcing a child to sleep in a trashcan, paddling a child 50 times and killing pets in front of the children.

Investigators say Kathleen Chorbajian knew of the abuse and failed to intervene or report it.

Defense argues community ties

Kathleen Chorbajian…

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Kodungalloor police detained 48-year-old temple priest Shaji for allegedly sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl in Thrissur. The abuse occurred last year under the guise of performing rituals. The incident surfaced recently, leading to a case under the POCSO Act

A temple priest was taken into custody for allegedly sexually abusing a minor girl under the pretext of performing rituals in Kodungalloor here, police said on Friday.

The accused has been identified as 48-year-old Shaji, a resident of Edavilangu near Kodungalloor.

According to police, Shaji performed rituals intended to resolve various personal issues for the faithful at a temple in Edavilangu.

Officials stated that while purportedly performing such rituals for the 14-year-old victim last year, the accused sexually abused her.

The incident came to light recently when the victim revealed the abuse to a relative after refusing to attend another ceremony conducted by Shaji.

Based on a complaint filed by the…

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The diocese, which also includes Queens, also said it would set aside hundreds of millions of dollars to settle accusations of child sexual abuse.

The Diocese of Brooklyn said on Thursday that it had agreed to enter into mediation with more than 1,000 people who have said they were sexually abused as minors by priests or church lay staff members. The diocese will also set aside a fund worth hundreds of millions of dollars to settle victims’ claims.

In a letter announcing the mediation, Bishop Robert Brennan of Brooklyn said that the claims were part of “the church’s shameful history of sexual abuse of our young people.”

“The impact of sexual abuse is devastating,” he wrote. “As your bishop, I again offer my deepest apologies to all the victim survivors.”

The letter names as mediators Daniel J. Buckley, a retired judge from California, and Paul A. Finn, a lawyer based…

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Bishop Robert J. Brennan of Brooklyn issued a letter to clergy and parishioners Feb. 12  announcing that the Diocese of Brooklyn intends to pursue a settlement of approximately 1,100 lawsuits filed under the New York Child Victims Act (CVA). 

The cases allege sexual abuse of minors by clergy and others associated with the diocese over several decades.

The Child Victims Act, enacted in 2019, created a lookback window permitting survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file civil claims previously barred by statutes of limitation. The measure led to a surge of litigation against institutions across New York state, including Catholic dioceses. In Brooklyn and Queens, which together compose the Diocese of Brooklyn, roughly 1,100 cases remain pending.

In his letter, Brennan stated that the diocese has been working “for many years” to address “its part in the Church’s shameful history of sexual abuse.” He offered…

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The Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, has announced it will enter into mediation to resolve some 1,100 sexual abuse claims.

“We will endeavor to resolve expeditiously all meritorious claims, and to avoid the time, expense, and emotional strain for victim-survivors that would be caused by individual trials,” said Bishop Robert J. Brennan of Brooklyn in a Feb. 12 letter to the faithful. The letter was posted at The Tablet, the diocese’s newspaper.

The bishop said that counsel for the diocese and survivors have agreed upon two “neutral mediators” for the resolution process: retired Judge Daniel J. Buckley with the dispute resolution firm Signature Resolution; and Paul A. Finn of Commonwealth Mediation and Conciliation.

Both mediators have experience with other diocesan abuse claim resolutions, said Bishop Brennan.

Buckley has worked with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Archdiocese of New York, while Finn has been retained by the Archdiocese of Boston, the…

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Today Bishop Robert Brennan released the following letter to the faithful of the Diocese of Brooklyn regarding the intent to enter into a global resolution of all remaining Child Victims Act cases.

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February 12, 2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

For many years, the Diocese of Brooklyn has been working to address its part in the Church’s shameful history of sexual abuse of our young people.  The impact of sexual abuse is devastating.  As your Bishop, I again offer my deepest apologies to all the victim-survivors.  We hope fair and comprehensive action to resolve the lawsuits stemming from the New York Child Victims Act (CVA) can further the healing process.  On this, I write today with an update. 

In 2002, the Catholic Bishops of the United States approved the  Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which includes guidelines for reconciliation, healing, accountability, and prevention of future acts…

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Police believe there may be more victims of church leader

A former deacon has been accused of sexual assault and sexual contact with a child during his time as a church leader in central Edmonton. 

Frezghi Zerezghi, 48, has been charged with sexual assault and sexual interference. The latter charge means he is alleged to have touched a person under the age of 16 for a sexual purpose. 

At the time of the assault, Zerezghi was serving as a deacon at an Edmonton church, according to a news release from the Edmonton Police Service.

Police have declined to name the congregation where Zerezghi served as church leader or provide more details on when he was removed from his post.

Police said the accused, during his time as a deacon, used a church in the area of 121st Avenue and 103th Street, just north of downtown, for weekly sermons.

Police said investigators…

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An explosive scandal rocking the exiled Tibetan community strikes at the heart of the power surrounding its spiritual leader. Tenzin Taklha, the Dalai Lama’s trusted nephew and private secretary, faces multiple internal whistleblower accusations of systematic sexual exploitation, misappropriation of aid funds, and attempts to monopolize the process of HHDL’s succession. The allegations, contained in disturbing chat logs, accuse him of using faith to exploit at least 25 girls, leading to a public marital breakdown with his wife.

These allegations intertwine with recent controversies sparked by U.S. Epstein case files, painting a startling picture of moral collapse among the exiled elite. As the 90-year-old HHDL enters his twilight years, this scandal is not just about individual alleged crimes; it threatens to ignite a brutal internal war over his vast religious and political legacy.

The Fall of the ‘Gatekeeper’: From Spiritual Aide to Accused Predator

Tenzin Taklha is no ordinary aide….

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When Will The Parish of the Holy Eucharist Pastoral Council Break Its Silence?

Try as it might, an influential organization representing priest sexual-abuse victims has heard nothing but crickets from the very body that by any measure should be all ears.

Parish of the Holy Eucharist Pastoral Council members are refusing pleas from Voice of the Faithful in Maine to lend their influence to the faithful’s efforts to set up a meeting with the Rev. Steven Cartwright of Falmouth.

Twice now Cartwright has cancelled scheduled meetings with Paul Kendrick of Freeport and Michael Sweatt of North Yarmouth, founders of the sexual-abuse support group.

“He is adding insult to injury by refusing to say why he is shutting the door on us,” Kendrick and Sweatt wrote the council. “We’ve asked each of you if you agree with Fr. Cartwright’s decision.

“Sadly, not one of you has responded,” they wrote….

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A Quebec priest has been charged with sexual abuse of a minor, police say.

The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said its major crimes unit arrested Léandre Lapointe, 63, of Beauceville, at his home.

A charge sheet shows that he is facing four counts of sexual exploitation and two counts of sexual assault of a teenager “while he was in a position of authority or trust.”

The court record alleges the abuse took place on several occasions between Oct. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2011.

Lapointe appeared in court in Val d’Or and was released pending further proceedings.

“The offenses were allegedly committed in several areas of the region while the suspect was working as a priest,” including in the towns of Macamic and Val-d’Or, in Quebec’s Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, the SQ said in a news release on Thursday.

“The investigation suggests that there may be other victims.”

Police did not release…

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Pope Leo XIV has confirmed Archbishop James F. Checchio as the new leader of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, effective immediately, following the retirement of Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond on Feb. 11.

Archbishop Checchio, 59, was appointed coadjutor archbishop of New Orleans by the pope in September. According to the Church’s canon law, a coadjutor bishop is appointed to assist the diocesan bishop until his retirement, when the coadjutor automatically becomes head of the diocese.

Archbishop Aymond is 76

The Vatican announced on Feb. 11 that Pope Leo had accepted Archbishop Aymond’s resignation. He is 76, one year past the age canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the pope.

Archbishop Checchio, a native of New Jersey, was formally welcomed to the archdiocese of New Orleans with a Mass on Nov. 18. As coadjutor, he came into an on archdiocese faced with having to resolve hundreds of sexual…

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Debates about which types of authority figures should be mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect ended in one proposal’s failure and another’s advancement Wednesday at the South Dakota Capitol in Pierre.

The state House of Representatives approved a bill that would add coaches of school activities to a list of mandatory reporters in state law that includes teachers, health care providers, child care workers and others. The bill’s next stop is a state Senate committee.

The legislation’s sponsor, Rep. Mary Fitzgerald, R-Saint Onge, was not fully happy despite the 66-0 vote in favor of the measure.

Her initial draft sought to add the term “coach” to the mandatory reporters list. A committee amendment narrowed the language to high school coaches. Fitzgerald unsuccessfully sought Wednesday to amend the bill back to her original language.

“I just cannot imagine why we would go out of our way to not protect…

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After a recent meeting with Pope Leo, the CEO of support service and charity for sexual abuse survivors One in Four Ireland has called for a dialogue with the Church on how to better protect children in online spaces.

Deirdre Kenny, who has worked with the charity for nearly 20 years, recently traveled to Rome to accompany abuse survivor David Ryan in his audience with Pope Leo, and had the chance to meet the pontiff herself and speak about “building relationships with the Church communities.”

Addressing the relationship between the Church and charities like One in Four, the CEO told The Irish Catholic, “sometimes people feel that organisations like One in Four are always attacking the Church, and it’s not that. It’s more that as a society we have a responsibility to protect children, and that’s not just governments or institutions, it’s all of us.”

Ms Kenny’s conversation with Pope…

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The federal trial of a former youth pastor and high school basketball coach accused of child sex abuse has again been pushed back. Lindsey Whiteside has already been convicted of state charges involving the same victim. 

Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of child sex abuse, which some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.

This is the third time the federal trial, which was originally set to take place in December, has been delayed. The trial is now set to begin on April 20. The trial date was pushed at the request of Whiteside’s counsel in light of inclement weather that has affected the law firm’s office.

RELATED: Former Pastor Sentenced to 10-15 Years in Prison in Multi-Victim Child Sex Abuse Case

Whiteside formerly worked at a campus of Getwell Church located in Hernando, Mississippi, as a student and outreach coordinator. She also formerly served…

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The High Court has found the Catholic Church legally responsible for the harm suffered by a 13‑year‑old boy who was sexually abused by a priest in Wallsend in the late 1960s. The case centred on Father Ronald Pickin, who worked at St Patrick’s Catholic Church and taught religious education at Wallsend High School.

The male victim told the court he and a friend were given alcohol and cigarettes by the priest before he was assaulted in the presbytery. A trial judge accepted the abuse occurred and initially awarded the survivor more than $630,000 in damages.

That decision was later overturned on appeal, following earlier High Court rulings that priests were not considered employees and therefore could not create vicarious liability for the Church. But the man’s lawyers argued the Diocese owed a non‑delegable duty of care to children under a priest’s supervision.

The High Court agreed, finding the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese…

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Police are appealing for anyone with information regarding a former priest convicted of historical sexual offending to come forward.

It comes after RNZ was approached by former pupils of St Patrick’s Silverstream with concerns about former priest Rowan Donoghue.

RNZ earlier revealed Donoghue had admitted six charges including indecent assault on a boy aged 12-16, indecent assault on a boy 16 and over and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection. He is awaiting sentencing.

The offending related to four boys who were boarding at St Bede’s College in Christchurch between 1996 and 2000.

Before he was at St Bede’s College, Donoghue worked at St Patrick’s Silverstream in Wellington between 1982 to 1992.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

In a statement to RNZ Detective Senior Sergeant Karen Simmons said police were appealing for anyone with information on offending by Donoghue to come forward.

A suppression order on Donoghue’s guilty plea was lifted…

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St Bede’s College was told nearly 20 years ago of allegations of sexual offending by a priest who has recently been convicted of historical abuse at the school.

The rector says if there was inaction regarding the allegations it would be “appalling”.

RNZ earlier revealed Friar Rowan Donoghue had admitted six charges including indecent assault on a boy aged 12-16, indecent assault on a boy 16 and over and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.

He is now awaiting sentencing.

The offending related to four boys who were boarding at St Bede’s College in Christchurch between 1996 and 2000.

Since then, RNZ has revealed that Fr Donoghue admitted sexual abuse to leaders of his religious order, the Society of Mary, in 2007. However, he was unable to identify the anonymous complainant and instead of notifying police, the order sent him to Australia for a six month-programme…

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The woman claiming she was sexual abused as a teen by a former church worship director testified Wednesday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

A 27-year-old woman testified for hours Tuesday in the trial of a former Cleveland area church worship director accused of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager.

In March 2025, Andres Andino, 60, was indicted on two counts of sexual battery, two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and one count of rape. At the time of his arrest, he had been working as director of worship at St. John Bosco Catholic Church in Parma Heights as well as part time at St. Joseph Parish in Avon Lake, in addition to a number of other volunteer positions for churches and groups across the Diocese of Cleveland.

Andino maintains his innocence, claiming he viewed the victim as the daughter he never had…

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A judge in Pennsylvania is allowing a lawsuit to move forward arguing that the Diocese of Pittsburgh has created a public nuisance by failing to properly report and disclose information on sexual abuse of children.

A judge in Pennsylvania is allowing a lawsuit to move forward arguing that the Diocese of Pittsburgh has created a public nuisance by failing to properly report and disclose information on sexual abuse of children.

The lawsuit is filed by both abuse victims and parents of children in the Catholic Church. Their attorney, Benjamin Sweet, said the ruling is unprecedented in supporting a suit filed by individuals who are not alleging abuse against themselves or a family member.

“This is the first time a cause of action has been brought by a non-survivor member of the public and the first time a court has said that is a viable legal strategy, that a private citizen…

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Gregory Aymond, whose resignation was accepted on Feb. 11, recently completed a meeting with survivors of the molestation scandal

NEED TO KNOW

• Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Gregory Aymond, Roman Catholic archbishop of New Orleans, on Feb. 11
• Aymond reportedly submitted his resignation in November 2024, but it was not immediately accepted as the Archdiocese of New Orleans worked to settle a federal bankruptcy protection case
• The archdiocese and its insurers agreed to a $305 million settlement for about 600 abuse survivors in December 2025

A top official within the Catholic Church has resigned as an estimated 600 sexual abuse survivors prepare to split a $305 million settlement.

Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Gregory Aymond, Roman Catholic archbishop of New Orleans, on Wednesday, Feb. 11, the Archdiocese of New Orleans said in a statement.

He will be replaced by the Most Rev….

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The court heard of a ‘highly inappropriate culture’ at that time

An all-girl Catholic school has said it is “incredibly sorry” for the harm caused by a former teacher who groomed and had sex with two pupils in the 2000s, admitting there were “failings”.

Plymouth CAST – the trust which oversees Notre Dame school – has also said it has now commissioned an independent review of safeguarding arrangements in the wake of the police investigation and conviction of former geography teacher Anthony Redmond.

Redmond, aged 54, from Fort Austin Avenue, was convicted following a trial at Plymouth Crown Court. The jury found him guilty by unanimous decision of five counts of abuse of a position of trust by engaging in sexual activity with one girl aged under 18, two counts of abuse of a position of trust by engaging in sexual activity with a second girl and one count of indecency…

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A Connecticut man accused of sexually abusing more than 100 impoverished Haitian boys through a charity he founded has been accused of violating terms of his release from prison by associating with another convicted sex offender and accessing online pornography.

Fifteen years ago, Douglas Perlitz was at the center of a notorious abuse case that became a model for federal efforts to track down and prosecute U.S. citizens who exploit children on foreign soil.

Perlitz founded and directed Project Pierre Toussaint, an orphanage in Haiti’s north coast city of Cap-Haitien. He admitted and later was convicted of using the orphanage, closely associated with Fairfield University, his alma mater, and the Catholic Church, to extort years of sexual favors from destitute children.

He was accused of threatening to expel children from his charity’s housing and return them to the streets if they refused his demands.

A federal court in 2019 approved a settlement in…

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In short:

A man who sued the Catholic Church for liability over sexual abuse he suffered as a boy has had his ruling upheld by the High Court.

The man alleged the priest abused him in the presbytery at St Patrick’s Catholic Church at Wallsend when he was 13 years old.

What’s next?

The case comes as the states and territories contemplate imposing vicarious liability on bodies such as churches and other groups, including Scouts, for the actions of paedophiles.

The High Court has found the Catholic Church liable for the harm caused to a 13-year-old boy who suffered abuse at the hands of a paedophile priest in the late 1960s.

Warning: This story contains details that may be distressing to readers.

The case has broken new ground in the fight for compensation by victims, relying on an argument about non-delegable duties.

The man at the centre of the…

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The Franciscan Friars of California announced a bankruptcy filing in 2024 ‘to address 94 child sexual abuse claims.’

The Franciscan Friars of California have announced a $20 million settlement with alleged abuse victims, with the eight-figure payout coming after the group filed for bankruptcy several years ago.

The friars announced in 2024 that they had filed a Chapter 11 petition “to address 94 child sexual abuse claims.”

The order said at the time that the dozens of claims came about due to California state laws that “allowed abuse survivors to file decades-old complaints that were otherwise time-barred or expired under the state’s statute of limitations.”

In a Feb. 4 filing, the friars said they had agreed to deposit $20 million into a trust for alleged victims of abuse. In a press release, the law firm of Lowenstein Sandler — which has represented the abuse victims in the case…

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Archbishop Gregory Aymond held meetings with childhood sex abuse survivors in local parishes across the area during a busy carnival weekend.

The archbishop said he hopes the meetings provide a sense of closure to the victims.

RELATED: New Orleans Archbishop schedules meetings with clergy abuse survivors, as some reject his apology

At St. Maria Goretti Church in New Orleans East, on Sunday afternoon, Aymond waited for survivors of clergy sexual abuse to show up. No one did, but Aymond said he had met some survivors at the four previous meetings.

“People have come, not in great numbers, but people have come,” Aymond said.

He feels the survivors who do choose to come can benefit.

“My feeling is, every person who comes, that’s one person that the church can pay attention to, can walk with and can help them heal,” Aymond said.

The group meetings are part of the archdiocese’s…

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Southern Baptist leaders and organizations should have known former youth minister Keenan Hord posed a danger to minors at First Baptist Church in Bentonville, Ark., according to a lawsuit filed by the parent of a sexual abuse victim.

The action names First Baptist, the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, the Northwest Arkansas Baptist Association, the Southern Baptist Convention and more than 20 other “John Doe” church leaders and insurers, Fayetteville’s KNWA-TV reported. Hord, 35, also is named in the lawsuit.

Former SBC President Steve Gaines was not named as a defendant but is singled out “as one specific person who should have flagged ‘disqualifying risk factors’ before Hord hurt anyone,” according to The Roys Report.

Hord pleaded guilty to more than a dozen counts of sexual assault in 2023 and was sentenced to 60 years in prison. He previously served as youth minister at First Baptist, where he sexually assaulted at least five minors…

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The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith announced the online publication, “for study purposes,” of four documents related to the Church’s discipline at the time of addressing sexual abuse.

The dicastery published, in Latin, Crimen sollicationis, the 1962 instruction of the Holy Office on addressing accusations of solicitation in the confessional. The document had previously been published in English on the Vatican website.

The dicastery also published, in Latin, Pope St. John Paul II’s 2001 norms on addressing serious canonical crimes against the sacraments. The Vatican had previously published, in various languages, Pope St. John Paul II’s apostolic letter Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela, by which he promulgated the norms, and an English-language overview of the 2001 norms, prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The 2001 norms were superseded by 2010 norms approved by Pope Benedict XVI and 2021 norms approved by Pope Francis.

Finally, the dicastery published, in Italian, two rescripts approved by Pope…

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Andres Andino, a 60-year-old former employee at both St. John Bosco and St. Joseph Catholic parishes, faces trial for alleged sexual abuse of a minor.

Attorneys delivered opening statements Tuesday afternoon in the trial of Andres Andino, a 60-year-old former church worship director accused of sexually abusing a minor.

Police arrested Andino 11 months ago outside St. Joseph Parish in Avon Lake, where he worked part-time. He had additionally served as director of worship at St. John Bosco Catholic Church in Parma Heights, and also volunteered for a number of other parishes and faith groups around the Diocese of Cleveland.

Andino faces two counts of sexual battery, two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and one count of rape. He has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors told the jury Tuesday that Andino served as a private music teacher for the victim and that their relationship became…

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A central Oregon pastor who served 16 years in jail for abusing a 13-year-old girl is back in ministry after his 2007 conviction was overturned. 

Bend, Oregon prosecutors considered re-charging Jeremy Shane Hall, a former pastor in the mountain town of Sisters, according to The Bulletin. But they decided to drop the case. 

Deputy District Attorney Aaron Brenneman submitted a motion to dismiss in September. He said that because of the amount of time that has passed, there is a lack of evidence and available witnesses, making a retrial impossible. 

Hall relocated east to Hermiston, a small Oregon city on the Columbia River gorge, when he was released from prison. TRR confirmed he is now the pastor of Echo Community Church on Bonanza Street in the town of Echo, just south of Hermiston. The church did not respond to phone calls asking for a comment. 

The church has regularly posted Hall’s sermons online since September 2024. 

“Doggone stinking sin,” Hall preached in the first sermon. “Jesus goes, ‘Alright,’ and what was dirty with sin is now…

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A growing lawsuit alleges years of sexual abuse by a former sports medicine director at North Carolina State University, with 31 former student-athletes now involved. The case reflects broader concerns about oversight, accountability, and abuse in college athletics.

A new wave of allegations has emerged in a North Carolina college sports sex abuse case, drawing national attention as more student athletes step forward. A recent filing accusing a former North Carolina State University sports medicine director of sexually abusing student athletes has grown significantly.

A complaint was filed in Wake County Superior Court in late January alleging years of sexual abuse, exploitation, and harassment by Robert L. Murphy Jr., the former NC State director of sports medicine. Plaintiffs claim that Murphy abused his position of trust by engaging in improper touching during medical treatments and subjecting athletes to invasive and humiliating drug-testing procedures. Murphy has denied the allegations.

How…

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Beatification of the popular American archbishop has been anticipated for several years

Peoria Bishop Louis Tylka announced Monday that the Vatican has approved the beatification of American Archbishop Fulton Sheen, setting the stage for a beatification Mass later this year.

While Tylka did not announce when the beatification Mass will take place, sources close to the process have told The Pillar that a September date is likely, and the Mass is likely to take place outside Peoria, the largely rural diocese where Sheen was ordained a priest, and where his canonization cause was initiated.

The Feb. 9 announcement comes after The Pillar reported last month that Sheen’s beatification approval was imminent, and would come ahead of the anticipated retirement of apostolic nuncio Cardinal Christophe Pierre, which Vatican-watchers expect to see announced within weeks.

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“The Holy See has informed me that the Cause for the Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen can…

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A woman whose story led to the resignation of the president at a prominent Southern Baptist–affiliated university testified Monday at the Georgia State Capitol to urge passage of a bill to protect survivors. 

“For me, this issue, it hits really hard,” said Hayle Swinson, a graduate of Truett McConnell University (TMU), a top-ranked SBC-affiliated school in North Georgia. “I’m a survivor of sexual abuse here in Georgia at a university. In my case, leaders used power, authority, fear, grooming, manipulation and spiritual language to control and exploit.” 

On Monday, Swinson was among nearly a dozen abuse survivors and advocates who testified before the Georgia House Judiciary Committee in Atlanta. They spoke in support of Trey’s Law, a bill that would prohibit non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in cases of child sexual abuse. 

Four states have enacted Trey’s Law so far, as The Roys Report (TRR) previously reported. “We will be the fifth state to pass this law if it moves forward,” said…

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As part of a government probe into allegations of child abuse by priests, Cardinal Godfried Danneels was questioned for several hours by Belgian police on Tuesday. Reportedly in “a state of shock,” he is said to have difficulty believing that many people think he knew about sexual abuse and did nothing.

As part of a government probe into allegations of child abuse by priests, Cardinal Godfried Danneels was questioned for several hours by Belgian police on Tuesday. Reportedly in “a state of shock,” he is said to have difficulty believing that many people think he knew about sexual abuse and did nothing.

The 77-year-old cardinal led the Catholic Church in Belgium until his retirement last year. A retired priest has accused him of sheltering abusive priests during his tenure from 1979 to 2009, the Agence France Presse reports. The cardinal has denied any cover-up.

During police questioning, Cardinal Danneels was…

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A Plymouth-based former teacher who betrayed his position of trust by sexually abusing two students at the school and sixth form he worked at has been jailed. 

Anthony Redmond, 54, of Fort Austin Avenue in Plymouth, abused one of the victims in a hotel prior to her turning 16.

Redmond was convicted following a trial at Plymouth Crown Court of seven counts of abuse a position of trust by engaging in sexual activity, three of which related to full intercourse, and one count of indecency with a child.

He returned to the court to be sentenced on Tuesday 10 February and was sentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment. Restraining orders were also put in place to prevent Redmond from contacting the victims.

During the trial, the court heard how Redmond used his status as a teacher and band musician to appeal to, and groom his victims.

He continued…

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A man who was sexually abused by a priest says he’s “appalled” police were not notified the priest had admitted abuse to leaders of his religious order nearly 20 years ago.

He said he expected authorities to be told of all other members of the order who admitted child sex offences.

RNZ earlier revealed Fr Rowan Donoghue had admitted six charges including indecent assault on a boy aged 12-16, indecent assault on a boy 16 and over and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.

The offending related to four boys who were boarding at St Bede’s College in Christchurch between 1996 and 2000.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

In response to questions by RNZ, a Society of Mary spokesperson said a complaint alleging offending by Donoghue was received by the priest via an anonymous Hotmail account in October 2007.

“He advised Society of Mary administration and in a conversation with leaders of…

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It’s a sad and sordid reality of human nature: Some adults have the desire to prey on children, and such people are likely to enter careers or otherwise seek out situations that give them the opportunity to do so.

For reasons that are largely impossible for functional, well-adjusted people to understand, this problem has always existed. The best society can do is take steps to identify potential predators – people, for example, who’ve faced several allegations of sexual misconduct – and remove them from settings that provide easy opportunities to offend. No institution can be expected to identify predators before they strike, but once a pattern of allegations is established, it’s the responsibility of those institutions to prioritize safety over all other concerns.

Reports from Hearst Connecticut Media indicate school officials in two Connecticut recently failed to perform this fundamental duty.

Darien High School teacher Sean Arthur Boardman was…

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A former Subiaco Academy student has filed a lawsuit alleging she was sexually abused as a minor by a Benedictine monk in 1978.

Subiaco Academy is a private Benedictine boarding and day school for boys in grades seven through 12 and is located near Paris in Logan County. Subiaco Academy is directly owned by and canonically part of Subiaco Abbey, the Benedictine monastery located on the same hilltop campus near Paris in Logan County.

The complaint, filed Jan. 30 in Logan County Circuit Court, names Brother Ephrem O’Bryan, O.S.B., along with Subiaco Abbey, Subiaco Academy, the Subiaco Foundation and the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock. Arkansas resident Brenda Bann is represented by attorney Andrew Myers of Myers & Woods Law Firm in Fayetteville.

Allegations of abuse

The lawsuit states Bann was scheduled for French tutoring with O’Bryan, who was an educator at Subiaco at the time. It alleges that during…

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Inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral were 2,000+ people who were lucky enough to score tickets to the installation of Archbishop Ronald Hicks. Outside were hundreds of the faithful who reflected the hopes as well as the problems the new spiritual leader must confront.

The pomp and circumstance of the Roman Catholic Church were on full display on Feb. 6 as Archbishop Ronald Hicks was installed as the new spiritual leader of the 2.5 million Catholics in the Archdiocese of New York in a ceremony at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

He’s replacing Cardinal Timothy Dolan who reached the mandatory retirement age.

The new archbishop, 58 years old, who was most recently the archbishop of a suburban Chicago diocese in Joliet, IL, spent five years as a missionary priest running an orphanage in El Salvador. He’s a fluent Spanish speaker. Marachi bands and songs in Spanish were heard often echoing off the streets surrounding…

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Bill faces no opposition as lawmakers move to close gap that survivors say allowed predators to escape justice

Kansas clergy would report suspected child abuse under legislation advancing to the House floor with no opposition.

On Friday, Feb. 6, the House Judiciary Committee recommended House Bill 2352 be passed after hearing emotional testimony from survivors and support from religious leaders.

No one testified against the measure during a Jan. 26 committee hearing.

The bill would add ordained ministers to Kansas’s list of mandated reporters. Currently, Kansas is one of several states that does not require clergy to report suspected child abuse.

“Our kids are our future, and we must do everything we can to protect them from sexual predators. The bill fills a conspicuous lacuna in the long list of those professionals who are legally required to report any suspicion of child sexual abuse by adding…

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The data suggest that children make up more than half of all trafficking victims on the African continent, subjected to horrific abuse, including sexual exploitation and forced labor.

As Catholics mark the Feast of St. Josephine Bakhita on February 8, harrowing testimonies from survivors of human trafficking across Africa are shedding light on the horrendous treatment they endure.

John, a mechanic from Nigeria, is one such survivor. He recalls being trafficked to Libya in 2015 after being promised a good-paying job that would generate the income he needed to eventually migrate to Europe.

 “When I got to Libya, I discovered it was all a lie,” he told CWR.

 “Terrible things were done to us in that place,” he said, revealing scars on his body as proof. “Eventually, I was sold out for $300 to go and work in a mine.”

A widespread and predatory system

John’s tragic experience is not…

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Two sisters have sued several United Methodist Church entities in Ohio, claiming church leaders enabled former music director to sexually abuse them for years.

The 26-page complaint, filed Jan. 29, alleges the church defendants failed to stop or report sexual abuse of sisters “Jane Doe” and “Mary Doe.” The sisters say they were assaulted hundreds of times beginning as young teens at United Methodist churches in western Ohio.

The suit names as defendants the General Council on Finance and Administration of the United Methodist Church; the West Ohio Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church; and the Great Miami River District of the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church, Inc.

Christ United Methodist Church, formerly known as St. Andrew United Methodist Church; Parkview United Methodist Church; and the United Methodist Children’s Home West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church, doing business as UMCH Family…

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A former Michigan pastor will spend at least 10 years behind bars after pleading no contest to multiple child sex abuse charges. Michael Ronald Goble, 77, maintained at sentencing that he committed no crimes despite agreeing to a plea deal. 

Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of child sex crimes that some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.

Goble was formerly the pastor of the now-defunct Church of the Good Shepherd in Adrian, Michigan.

Goble was initially arrested in July 2024 after two victims came forward. Both were minors under the age of 13 at the time of the alleged abuse. 

RELATED: Worship Leader Formerly Associated With Creation Museum Sentenced to 15 Years in Child Sex Abuse Case

The two victims, who were brothers, alleged that Goble sexually abused them on separate occasions as they helped him with yard work at his home. Goble was charged with…

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Editor’s note: If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.

Cindy Clemishire was 12 years old on Christmas night in 1982 when a traveling evangelist staying with her family first abused her.

According to Clemishire, the sexual abuse continued over the next four years. She eventually told her family and the abuse stopped. But her abuser, Robert Morris, went on to found Gateway Church in Texas, which became one of the largest megachurches in the nation.

When Clemishire sought restitution in 2007, Morris’ attorney offered her $25,000 if she would sign a nondisclosure agreement that would prevent her from speaking publicly about the abuse. She refused.

“Had I agreed to that NDA, Robert would have continued to have power over me,” Clemishire View Cache

Note: This story contains descriptions of child sexual abuse. 

Fourteen women filed suit in federal court last week against a former pastor and regional director of the Texas Baptist Bible Fellowship who possessed images of them being abused as children.  

David Lloyd Walther, 59, pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material back in 2023. According to an FBI investigation, the pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Round Rock, Texas, had more than 100,000 explicit and obscene images of children on two hard drives he carried with him.  

Some of the images depicted small boys tied down, gagged and raped. Some showed girls performing sex acts on dogs. The children appeared to be as young as 3, according to the FBI. 

Law enforcement was able to identify some of the people in those images and notify them in July 2023. Fourteen of the victims chose to review the evidence, confirming they were the ones being assaulted. 

The women…

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Bishop Arthur N.Tafoyaof Pueblo, Colorado in an official, statement released today, answered to charges of negligence and misconduct directed against his diocese from lawyers and pressure groups defending victims of sexual abuse.

Bishop Arthur N. Tafoya of Pueblo, Colorado in an official, statement released today, answered to charges of negligence and misconduct directed against his diocese from lawyers and pressure groups defending victims of sexual abuse.

The issue came to the attention of the diocese of Pueblo through an article released yesterday in the Pueblo Chieftain newspaper, and related by pressure groups, alleging the diocese had documents showing the diocese was aware of abuse in June 2002, way before any actions was formally taken.

To this Bishop Tafoya answered that “as has been stated in recent newspaper articles, records indicate that the Diocese of Pueblo received no complaints or reports of sexual misconduct or abuse against former Brother Mueller until the…

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California’s Legislature is considering revising a state law that has enabled more victims of child sexual abuse to sue public schools. This column argues against reforming the law. This accompanying column argues for it.

Lobbyists for school districts, public employee unions and insurance interests are again pressuring California legislators to emasculate Assembly Bill 218, a measure legislators enacted unanimously in 2019 to close a gaping loophole in the statute of limitations that let schools  avoid civil liability for enabling or covering up child sexual abuse by teachers and staff. 

AB 218 passed as awareness grew of the psychological, cultural and economic barriers victims face, discouraging them from disclosing their abuse — often for many years — as well as the revelation of mass abuse cases still occurring. Case in point: the horrific Miramonte Elementary School case in which Los Angeles Unified School District teacher Mark Berndt posed and photographed dozens of…

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California’s Legislature is considering revising a state law that has enabled more victims of child sexual abuse to sue public schools. This column argues for reforming the law. This accompanying column argues against it.

What began as a moral imperative has become a fiscal emergency, draining California’s public schools of the dollars meant for students.

Assembly Bill 218 was written to deliver justice for survivors of sexual abuse, but its design opened the door to a costly and unbalanced system — one that rewards trial lawyers while punishing classrooms across California. 

During the last legislative session, lawmakers attempted to craft a solution to address the law’s unintended consequences. But pressure from trial lawyers, who stand to make billions from AB 218 lawsuits, blocked any meaningful reform. 

The consequences of inaction are mounting: every day reform is delayed, attorneys profit while classrooms lose vital resources, and California’s students continue to bear…

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Details can be revealed as one diocese argues it has no immediately available funds to pay abuse victims

Catholic dioceses with parishes in Northern Ireland are sitting on cash and assets totalling more than £400m.

Trusts overseeing the finances of Down and Connor, Derry, Clogher, Dromore and the Archdiocese of Armagh had close to £200m in the bank or investments, with income in 2024 reaching approximately £70m.

Details of the total funds held by the dioceses can be revealed as Dromore, administered by Archbishop Eamon Martin, asks a court to decide what cash and assets it can use to pay those abused by Malachy Finegan, the deceased former principal of St Colman’s College in Newry.

In total, across all four dioceses and the archdiocese, funds held amounted to £438m. This includes more than £180m in cash and investments.

Only Down and Connor, and Dromore are entirely within Northern Ireland.

Dromore…

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