February 03, 2006

'Father Dan took advantage'

CHICAGO (IL)
Daily Southtown

Friday, February 3, 2006

By Frank Main and Stefano Esposito
Special to the Daily Southtown

An 11-year-old boy who lives a stone's throw from St. Agatha Church earned pocket money by shoveling snow, raking leaves and making grocery runs for the Rev. Daniel McCormack.
The priest paid him cash — normally $5 — for his services. And when they were alone in the West Side church's rectory, McCormack reached into the child's pants and fondled him, the boy's mother said in an interview.

"My son would say, 'Why did you do that?' And Father Dan said, 'To see how big your private part is.' "

McCormack was in court Thursday on a charge of aggravated sexual abuse involving the 11-year-old. He already faces charges of abusing two other children, one as recently as January 2005.

Posted by kshaw at February 3, 2006 08:22 AM