WFTV [Deltona FL]
January 30, 2007
http://www.wftv.com/news/10882022/detail.html
A Volusia County priest is under criminal investigation and the Orlando Diocese is under fire, as well, for allegedly misleading parishioners at Saint Clare Catholic Church in Deltona.
The victim told investigators that Father Carlos Bedoya's got him drunk and held him down in his residence right on church property in October.
A victim's group is accusing Bishop Thomas Wenski of lying to parishioners at Saint Clare Catholic Church about why Bedoya stepped down.
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| Father Carlos Bedoya |
The accusations against Bedoya are just accusations, but they were enough for the Orlando Diocese to remove him from his position at Saint Clare Catholic Church in November. The problem is, parishioners were never told why.
David Clohess is executive director of a national organization seeking transparency in the clergy and he's calling on Wenski to apologize to parishioners, who had been told only that their priest had personal issues.
The State Attorney's Office is investigating accusations that Bedoya helped one man perform a sex act on another man against his will.
Tuesday, no one from the Diocese would appear on camera, though they did pass out a statement from Wenski, saying he thinks his actions were appropriate, because no criminal charges had been filed.
Before working at Saint Clare Catholic Church, Bedoya was a priest in Melbourne, Haines City and in Orlando.
Wednesday, victims' advocates plan to pass out leaflets outside his old church in Melbourne to encourage other potential victims to come forward.
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