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  Three More Men Accuse Former Miami Priest of Abuse
Former Priest Charged with Child Sexual Abuse

CBS 4
April 10, 2007

http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_100222856.html

(CBS4) Miami — A former South Florida priest gave CBS4 News a less than warm welcome after we confronted him regarding accusations of unholy acts against children.

This is not the first time that Father Neil Doherty is accused. He is currently on house arrest awaiting trial for allegedly abusing a young boy, but new victims have come forward this week and they plan on suing the Archdiocese of Miami for failing to protect them.

As CBS4's Tiffani Helberg asked him through a door that was cracked open if the allegations were true, Doherty gave her a curt "not at all", before slamming the door and shutters shut.

Five years after the archdiocese stripped father Doherty of his priestly duties, three unnamed men who say they were abused by him as young boys came forward. Jeffrey Herman, the attorney famous for taking on these church cases is representing the men.

"He sexually abused these boy;s he fed them drugs; he gave them money," said Herman.

Herman is representing the three in a civil lawsuit, in which they describe Doherty as a predator.

"One of them he found at the Miami Bridge program, which was a shelter for runaway kids," said Herman.

He says the others met Doherty at church. All three were allegedly pushed into a life of sadness starting at ages of 11, 12, and 13.

"Their lives are pretty dysfunctional," said Herman. "Today all three of these men after coming in contact with Neil Doherty all three of them became men who as boys were working the streets of Biscayne Blvd."

He says all three recall stories of how the reverend would cruise Biscayne Blvd. just after midnight wearing his priestly collar, reaching out to boys allegedly for sex under the guise of ministry.

The archdiocese has settled three civil suits involving Doherty, and one is pending. Herman says one of the new victims is listed in old diocese records.

"We did learn that apparently the archdiocese had hired investigators that they sent to this boy's home back in the 1980's and apparently never told his mother."

Mary Ross Agosta, the spokeswoman for the archdiocese says she's not aware of that or the new lawsuits.

"But anytime we hear there are a possibility of three more victims of child abuse by a member of the clerty, it's always a sad day for the church," she said.

But whether it comes to new, pending or past suits, the former priest didn't have much to say about the matter.

 
 

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