November 16, 2005

Providence Diocese suspends priest accused of molesting teenager

PROVIDENCE (RI)
WPRI

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- The Diocese of Providence has withdrawn a priest accused of molesting a Maryland teenager from his duties at a Rhode Island parish.

The diocese says it withdrew the accused priest, Aaron Joseph Cote, from Saint Pius the Fifth Parish in Providence today after learning that a lawsuit had been filed in a Washington D-C court accusing Cote of child sexual abuse.

The lawsuit was filed by Brandon Rains, an 18-year-old who has accused Cote of sexually molesting him in 2001 and 2002 while Cote was serving at Mother Seton Parish in Germantown, Maryland.

Cote, a Dominican priest, was assigned by the Providence diocese to Saint Pius in 2003.

Posted by kshaw at November 16, 2005 05:12 PM