January 26, 2006

Rodrigue had ties to San Diego area

CALIFORNIA
Union-Tribune

By Sandi Dolbee
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
January 26, 2006

A former San Diego priest and convicted child molester was released from prison yesterday and is staying in a San Bernardino motel while parole authorities try to make longer-term arrangements, according to his brother.

"No one wants to accept him," said Tom Rodrigue, younger brother to Edward Anthony Rodrigue, who served parishes in the San Diego and San Bernardino Roman Catholic dioceses for about 20 years from the 1960s to the 1980s. "Part of that is the notoriety and part of that is the crime."

Edward Anthony Rodrigue, 69, was sentenced in 1998 to 10 years in state prison for molesting an 11-year-old developmentally disabled boy in San Bernardino County. He is facing at least 19 civil lawsuits filed by men who allege he molested them while he was a priest and they were minors.

While the former priest declined to be interviewed, his brother described him as being "very glad to be out" and "very positive about the future."

Posted by kshaw at January 26, 2006 08:49 AM