ALASKA
KTUU
Wednesday, November 2, 2005 - by Megan Baldino
Anchorage, Alaska - Rev. James Poole and the Catholic Church of Fairbanks are facing another lawsuit tonight.
Poole (left) is a former Alaska priest who has been accused by several women of sexually abusing them as children. According to a complaint filed in Nome Superior Court today, the woman, only identified as Jane Doe IV, claims Poole sexually abused her when she was seven years old, which was in 1968 or 1969.
The complaint alleges that Poole told Jane Doe IV that they were going to “play doctor” after catechism class. It goes on to say Poole attempted to touch her before she got scared and insisted on going into another room.
Her attorney says this latest case is significant. “She's the first one to tell us that he used catechism to access children. He taught catechism for a long time in several places. I suspect that there are a number of other women who were molested as children by Father Poole when they were in catechism,” said Ken Roosa (right), the plaintiff's attorney.