HAWAII
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
By Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.com
WAILUKU, Maui » A Maui Catholic church deacon has been charged with 62 counts of sexual assault against a boy, an accusation that stunned the tiny rural parish where a bake sale is usually the big news of the month.
James Ronald Gonsalves, 68, deacon of St. Ann Church in Waihee, pleaded not guilty yesterday to the charges, which include 30 counts of first-degree sexual assault, 30 counts of third-degree sexual assault and two counts of first-degree attempted sexual assault.
Police said the crimes occurred between June 2002 and last month, starting when the boy was 12. They said some of the assaults occurred in the church.
While parishioners expressed shock at the allegations, many of them also said they supported Gonsalves.
"He's my friend. He's done so much for me. My feeling is that he has done so much for the church that I am willing to overlook the bad that he has done, if he has done anything bad," said Beatrice Dadez.
"We don't know he's guilty until he's proven guilty," she added.