February 13, 2005

Porter's ex-wife speaks

MINNESOTA
KSTP

It's the end of a disturbing era for many Minnesotans, with the death of former priest and convicted sex offender James Porter. Porter died Friday at a Boston hospital. He was 70 years old.

He had a history of sex crime convictions, including molesting 28 children in Massachusetts.

And 21 men in Minnesota also sued him, saying he abused them while he worked at a church in Bemidji in 1969 and 1970.

Porter eventually left the priesthood, got married and had four children.

His ex-wife, Verlyne Gray still lives in Oakdale. She says she is no longer looking back and is only concentrating on the future and what life has in store for her after 18 years of marriage to a man she says never admitted to his wrong doings.

“The best thing about it is he won't be able to get out he won't be able to hurt anyone else,” Gray said.

Posted by kshaw at February 13, 2005 06:24 AM