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	Mark Foley Allegedly Singled out " Hot" Boy Pages Malta Media News [Washington DC] October 22, 2006 http://www.maltamedia.com/news/2005/ln/article_12012.shtml Former Republican Congressman Mark Foley, who was allegedly molested by a Gozitan priest in his teenage years, made friends with a wide circle of teenaged House of Representatives pages, then singled out "hot" boys to write to, the Washington Post reported on Sunday. Mark Foley resigned from the US Congress last month after a number of suggestive e-mails to young male pages were uncovered. The former Congressman from Florida said soon after his resignation that he had been molested as a boy by a "clergyman". Last week, Gozitan Fr. Anthony Mercieca was reported to have told Sarasota Herald-Tribune that Mark Foley might have felt that their "intimate relationship" in the 1960's was "inappropriate". Fr. Anthony Mercieca has however hit out at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, saying that report published was "exaggerated", while denying that his relationship with Mark Foley was sexual in nature. According to Washington Post four more former pages said they were sexually solicited by Mark Foley. One former page said Foley sent him e-mails when he was 16 asking about his roommates and if he had ever seen them naked. Later, the Congressman hinted about a job opportunity for the boy, "because I was a hot boy," the newspaper quoted the now 22-year-old former page as saying. When the page turned 18, Mark Foley allegedly told him that he could always stay at his place. According to Washington Post the page quoted the former Congressman as saying "I'm always here, I'm always lonely, and I'm always up for oral sex." Another former page said he felt obliged to flirt with Foley. The scandal has added to a growing list of threats to Republican domination of the House in next month's elections. Currently, the Archdiocese of Gozo is investigating Fr. Anthony Mercieca for the alleged abuse that took place in the 1960's when Mark Foley was aged between 12 and 13. Fr. Mercieca, now a 69-year-old Gozo resident, insisted with the Associated Press that in its report Sarasota Herald-Tribune "wrote many things that I didn't say". The alleged "inappropriate" relationship ensued between Mark Foley and Fr. Anthony Mercieca, when the priest was working in Florida. The case has been given prominence in international media. On Saturday Associated Press and CNN reported that indeed the Archdiocese of Miami has asked priests at eight Florida churches to speak with parishioners about whether a retired Catholic priest accused of molesting former Rep. Mark Foley may have molested anyone else. The Archdiocese also barred the Fr. Anthony Mercieca from all church work while it investigates the allegations. Related: • Gozo Priest Case Prominent in International Media
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