OWENSBORO (KY)
Kentucky.com
Associated Press
OWENSBORO, Ky. - Residents should be warned when Roman Catholic priests who were accused, but not convicted, of sexual abuse live in their neighborhoods, a man says.
In response, church and law enforcement officials said that people who have not been tried and convicted of a crime don't have to register.
The call for notification was made by Gerald Payne, who has a lawsuit pending against the diocese over abuse he claims he suffered from a priest when he was a child. He is also state coordinator of Survivor Network for those Abused by Priests.
At issue are two priests living in a small apartment complex owned by the Catholic Diocese of Owensboro. Of the retired or inactive priests living there, two have had allegations of sexual abuse made against them, said Bishop John McRaith of the Owensboro Diocese.
"That's common knowledge," he said. "It's been known for a long time."