ST. LOUIS (MO)
Post-Dispatch
06/03/2005
ST. LOUIS
A Roman Catholic priest who admitted to the Post-Dispatch in 2002 that he molested at least 12 boys became the target Friday of the first known lawsuit against him for alleged sexual abuse.
The Rev. Joseph Lessard was sued in St. Louis Circuit Court by an alleged victim identified only as "John Doe." The suit also claims the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis was aware of Lessard's abuse of children but left him in positions of authority over them.
The plaintiff claims that Lessard molested him while he was a boy from 1985 through 1992, when Lessard was serving at Holy Innocents Church in south St. Louis.
Posted by kshaw at June 4, 2005 04:11 AM