February 23, 2006

Wempe Is Convicted on 1 Count

LOS ANGELES (CA)
Los Angeles Times

By Jessica Garrison and Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writers

The pedophile priest whom Cardinal Roger M. Mahony said he regretted returning to the ministry was found guilty Wednesday of one count of molesting a boy, marking the first significant criminal conviction of a Los Angeles cleric since the church's sexual abuse scandal erupted four years ago.

Michael Edwin Wempe, forced into retirement from the Los Angeles Archdiocese, hung his head as the guilty verdict was read. Superior Court Judge Curtis Rappe ordered the Catholic cleric into custody.

Posted by kshaw at February 23, 2006 08:18 AM