JOLIET (IL)
Daily Southtown
Friday, March 3, 2006
By Ted Slowik
Staff writer
The Diocese of Joliet was hit with three more lawsuits Thursday, all filed by men alleging they were sexually abused by priests when they were altar boys and students at the Cathedral of St. Raymond.
Two of the men allege they were molested by the Rev. Larry Mullins, and the third cites sexual abuse by the Rev. Anthony J. Ross.
This brings the number of lawsuits pending against the diocese to at least nine, including one class-action. At least three other lawsuits were dismissed on statute of limitations grounds before an appellate court ruled that decades-old allegations of abuse could continue when victims didn't fully understand the harm caused until later in life.
One of the three new plaintiffs, George Fehrenbacher, alleges Mullins' abuse included an incident at his family's home. The lawsuit said the parents had asked Mullins there to talk to another son, Christopher, who previously has filed a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by Mullins.