ORLANDO (FL)
The Ledger
By MIKE BRANOM
The Associated Press
ORLANDO -- A man who says a Roman Catholic priest sexually abused him as a child sued him and the Dioceses of Orlando and Gary, Ind., on Wednesday.
The Rev. Richard Emerson is accused of repeatedly molesting the boy, now 29, from 1986 through 1991. He allegedly plied the victim with alcohol and pornography before the abuse, then used threats to keep him quiet.
The accuser, identified only as "John Doe," claims the dioceses covered up the crimes and protected Emerson.
Emerson, suspended last month as pastor of Notre Dame Church in Long Beach, Ind., has denied any sexual misconduct with his accuser. The two allegedly met at St. Charles Borromeo School in Orlando.
The lawsuit, filed in Orange County Circuit Court, asks for more than $15,000 in damages.