STAMFORD (CT)
Connecticut Post
By DANIEL TEPFER dtepfer@ctpost.com
STAMFORD
Jury selection is scheduled to begin this morning in the civil trial of a Roman Catholic priest accused of molesting a Trumbull altar boy in the early 1990s.
The Superior Court lawsuit, filed against the Diocese of Bridgeport, charges that the church hierarchy failed to protect children from the Rev. John Castaldo.
Ernest Teitell, who with Paul Slager, represents the former altar boy, confirmed jury selection is scheduled to begin this morning, but Monday declined further comment on the case.
Diocesan spokesman Joseph McAleer said the diocese does not comment on pending cases.
The lawsuit claims Castaldo kissed the then-13-year-old altar boy on the mouth at least five times in the sacristy at St. Theresa Church in Trumbull in 1990.
It states the priest took the plaintiff and two other altar boys on a trip to Disney World in Florida in August 1991 and sexually assaulted the plaintiff during that trip.
Posted by kshaw at January 11, 2005 08:03 AM