March 21, 2006

Retired Margate priest freed on $70,000 bond in child-rape case

FLORIDA
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

By Tonya Alanez
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted March 21 2006

A Broward judge agreed Monday to release on bond a retired priest accused of molesting, drugging and raping a boy from the time he was 7 until he was 14.

Neil Doherty, a former priest at St. Vincent's Catholic Church in Margate, was arrested in January and faces eight counts of sexual battery, lewd and lascivious acts and molestation. He was denied bail Jan. 27, a day after he was arrested at a Fort Lauderdale hotel.

Broward Circuit Judge Susan Lebow granted the $70,000 bond on the condition that Doherty, 63, surrenders his passport.

The priest's sisters, Mary Baylor and Joanne Veclotch of Palm Beach, said they would put up their property to secure the bond. Baylor agreed to let Doherty live with her.

Posted by kshaw at March 21, 2006 07:45 AM