April 28, 2006

New Sex Abuse Lawsuit Names Working Priest

WHEATON (IL)
NBC 5

WHEATON, Ill. -- A 43-year-old Arizona man has filed a child sexual abuse lawsuit claiming he was molested at age 11 or 12 by two Archdiocese of Joliet priests, one of whom still serves at a parish in Naperville, according to a release from the plaintiff’s attorney.

The suit also charges that Joliet Diocese officials have dragged their feet in responding to the allegations.

Tim Greco filed suit in DuPage County Circuit Court on Thursday charging that from 1975 to 1976, while serving as an altar boy at St. Pius X parish in Lombard, he was sexually abused by two priests, the Rev. Phillip J. Dedera and the Rev. Richard L. Bennett, according to attorney Marc Pearlman of Chicago.

The suit claims Greco, now married with two children, was repeatedly molested by Dedera, and then abused once by Bennett after Bennett became aware that Dedera was molesting the boy.

Posted by kshaw at April 28, 2006 03:47 AM