ORLANDO (FL)
Northwest Indiana Times
BY CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN
Special to The Times
ORLANDO | A letter sent from the Catholic Diocese of Orlando to the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office in June detailed sexual-abuse allegations against a visiting Indiana priest accused of molesting an Orlando boy for several years.
The Rev. Richard Emerson, who was placed on administrative leave Saturday by the Diocese of Gary, was accused of sexually abusing an Orlando boy from the time he was 11 until he was nearly 18 in 1993, the June 10 letter said.
Emerson, 52, now a pastor at Notre Dame in Michigan City, cannot take part in any public ministry nor have contact with minors while on administrative leave. The Hammond native has a long history with churches in the region, including ministering at Munster's St. Thomas More Church from 1996 to 2003.
The alleged victim, now 29, contacted the Orlando diocese through his attorney on May 25, alleging Emerson had taken him on trips to Key West, Chicago, Colorado and Indiana during the seven-year period. On a final trip to Indiana, he allegedly confronted Emerson, who admitted he "had a problem" and offered the teen $800 to keep quiet, according to the letter.
Posted by kshaw at December 23, 2004 08:32 AM