PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call
By Hal Marcovitz
Of The Morning Call
When Thomas Meenan rose in Bucks County Court Wednesday to face three of the boys he pleaded guilty to molesting, the 49-year-old Springfield Township man asked for their forgiveness and told them he still loves them.
''I love these guys; I love their families,'' Meenan said. ''They were good to me. They treated me well.''
That comment drew an angry response from Judge Kenneth G. Biehn, who insisted that instead of showing love to the three boys and two other victims, Meenan's assaults on the youths amounted to torture. ...
Meenan told Biehn that he has struggled with alcoholism for nearly his entire life. Meenan said he started drinking at the age of 8 after he was molested by his father and a priest.
''I pretty much withdrew from adults,'' Meenan said. ''I was a loner. I couldn't face people. I had to drink to fit in.''